Total Drama Island, Season 2!
by Jamie am I
Summary: Chris McClean has just announced the launch of TDI Season 2, with 24 new Campers all competing for the million dollars! What bonds will form? What alliances? Who will hurt whom? And who will win the cash? Find out by reading Total Drama Island Season 2!
1. Application

Hey Everybody, surferdude9817 here! So, listen… I'm writing my version of TDI Season 2, (I know not at all original), and I'm looking for characters. The first 30 people (20 of the 22 Campers, as well as 10 Camp Counselors) who respond will get to be featured as a character, so if you want to be in it, do it ASAP. Also... I'm going to be putting in a character much like Mr. Coconut from Season 1, so you can also submit your ideas for that innanimate character. :)

Fill out the following info…

Camper or Camp Counselor:

Name (Doesn't have to be your real name):

Age:

Hair:

Eyes:

Nationality:

Style:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Phobias:

P.S: There will be 8 Couples in this story (6 dedicated to the original TDI Couples, GxT, CxD, BxG, HxL, LxT, and IxO, as well as 2 original couples, one dedicated to the implied NoahxCody couple, and one totally original. If you're okay with being paired up, let me know at the start. Then, after I've posted the cast characters, tell me which one you'd like to be paired with.

Keep in mind, that if you volunteer to be paired, you may not get to be with who you want.

-surferdude9817


	2. Author's Note

NOT AN UPDATE

NOT AN UPDATE! I'M ONLY POSTING THIS SO I CAN LEAVE A COMMENT FOR kris+james+rebecca

…By the way. To the 22 Campers who made the cut, I will not be posting the chapters of this story until I complete the story. Sorry! Meanwhile, those of you who still want to be in the story, submit a review or PM and become a Camp Counselor!

-surferdude9817


	3. The Campers and Counselors

****

TDI CHARACTERS, SEASON 2

Here are the Campers and Counselors who've made it so far (As of September 5, 2008)…

**

* * *

**

CAMPERS

**(Alphabetically)**

_**Name: Alberto (kris+james+rebecca)**_

Personal Item: MVP Trophy

Age: 16

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Short brown, spiky

Nationality: Puerto Rican

Stereotype: the Jock

Likes: Music, football, animals

Dislikes:

Phobia(s): Being trapped in a room with no light

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Alexandra 'Alex' (nejiXtenten4everz)

Age: 16

Eyes: Dark brown

Hair: Brown w/ light brown highlights

Nationality: Mexican

Stereotype: the Tomboy

Likes: Animals, drawing, writing

Dislikes: Coconuts, fake people, mangos

Phobia(s): Mice, spiders, anything with coconuts

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Alice (Shadow Kissed Chris)

Age: 16

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Long blond

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Cooled Girl

Likes: Reading, swimming, music

Dislikes: Hiking

Phobia(s): Bug infestations

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Ashlynn 'Ash' (MusicLover48)

Age: 16

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Brown

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Preppy Rocker

Likes: Music, her iPod, shopping, animals

Dislikes: Spiders, perverted guys, when people scare her, mean people

Phobia(s): Horror movies

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Ben (SunWhiskerOfDawnClan)

Age: 16

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Short brown, spiked

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Carefree Guy

Likes: Motocross, hunting

Dislikes: People picking on his twin sister (Paiton)

Phobia(s): Wolves, bears, Paiton's animal noises

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Chris (Sonic Fan 08)

Age: 12

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Gamer

Likes: Video games

Dislikes: Moms

Phobia(s): Clowns, school

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Derek (surferdude9817)

Age: 16

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Brown (Dyed black)

Nationality: American

Stereotype: The Hot Emo

Likes: Being silent, reading, drawing

Dislikes: Almost everything

Phobia(s): The dark, sorrow

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Destiny (Iloveduncan22)

Age: 16

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black w/ purple streaks

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Beautiful Emo

Likes: Gore

Dislikes: Preps (Ex: Cheerleaders)

Phobia(s): Rickety bridges hung over shark-infested and rock-ridden waters

**_

* * *

_**

Name: Even (kris+james+rebecca)

Age: 15

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Short blond

Nationality: American/Irish

Stereotype: the Partier

Likes: Having fun, partying, hanging with friends

Dislikes: Liars, seafood, killjoys

Phobia(s): Porcelain dolls

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Grace (Wolffox17)

Age: 16

Eyes: Blue-grey

Hair: Long brown, curly

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Athletic Tomboy

Likes: Wolves, animals, drawing, reading, playing sports

Dislikes: Snobs, liars, people that don't respect others

Phobia(s): Being alone, the dark

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Hillary (surferdude9817)

Age: 16

Eyes: Green

Hair: Blond, w/ light brown highlights

Nationality: Canadian

Stereotype: the Bitch (Heather II)

Likes: Competing, winning, staring at her reflection in the mirror, leading others on, sabotage

Dislikes: Losing, losers, cheaters (though she is one), Chris McClean

Phobia(s): Acne, gaining weight, bad outfits, rabid dogs, heights

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Jack (NekoofWanton)

Age: 17

Eyes: Green

Hair: Black w/ pink streaks,

Nationality: Canadian/(Chinese/Japanese)

Stereotype: the Gay Best Friend

Likes: Fashion designing

Dislikes: Homophobes

Phobia(s): Slow, painful death

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Jamie (surferdude9817)

Age: 16

Eyes: Brown w/ glasses

Hair: Black w/ green streaks, shaggy

Nationality: American/Mexican

Stereotype: the Bookworm

Likes: Reading, writing, drawing, singing, Love

Dislikes: Stupidity, hatred, close-mindedness

Phobia(s): Stage fright, spiders, snakes, heights, being hated

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Jordan (lmc3200)

Age: 16

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Brown, mid-neck

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Smart Fun Guy

Likes: Greek Mythology books, Chris McClean, Total Drama Island, slushies, 'Heroes"

Dislikes: Downers, tubas, gym

Phobia(s): Being trapped in a steel cage for hours, mountain biking, cliff diving

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Josh (lizark790)

Age: 16

Eyes: Black

Hair: Black, spiky

Nationality: Canadian

Stereotype: the Awkward Guy

Likes: Video games, computers, TV

Dislikes: Vegetables, being grounded

Phobia(s): Heights, deep water

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Keala (princeskvn)

Age: 16

Eyes: Light blue

Hair: Knee-length, honey blond, w/ bits of brown, light brown, black, and blond

Nationality: Canadian/(Thai/Japanese/Chinese/Vietnamese/Hawaiian/ /French)

Stereotype: the Individual

Likes: Exotic things, Tropical things, Islands, traveling, cartoon Monkeys,  
contacts, swimming, boogie-boarding, smoothies, milkshakes, Icees, cities, the  
Big Apple, environments, parties.

Dislikes: Snobs, idiots, real Monkeys, Antarctica, the cold, turning white,  
ice

Phobia(s): Being in a Scary Movie, complex roller coasters

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Lexie (LilMizzNae)

Age: 17

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Long brown, curly, w/ blond streaks

Nationality: African American

Stereotype: the Individual

Likes: Boys, talking, music, nice people, challenges

Dislikes: Snobs, bugs, mean people

Phobia(s): Bugs, thunderstorms

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Mitch (surferdude9817)

Age: 16

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Blond (Dyed hot pink)

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Asshole (A Male version of Heather)

Likes: Competing, winning, hot girls, hot guys, music, fellow jerks

Dislikes: Idiots, goody-goodies, school

Phobia(s): Britney Spears coming to his house in the dead of night with a machete, deep water

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Peiton (SunWhiskerOfDawnClan)

Age: 16

Eyes: Dark brown

Hair: Long brown

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Weirdo

Likes: Horror films, imitating animal sounds to scare OR annoy people she hates, skateboarding

Dislikes: Girly things (Ex; make-up, dresses, piercings)

Phobia(s): Needles

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Phoebe (Dreamer-by-Day)

Age: 16

Eyes: Dark brown, eyebrow piercing

Hair: Black, pixie-like, w/ different shades of purple

Nationality: Spanish/American

Stereotype: the Punk

Likes: Writing, drawing, daydreaming, listening to her iPod, swimming, chocolate, stargazing, jeans

Dislikes: Pink, dresses, vanilla, jerks, bullies  
Phobia(s): Crowds of large, baying hound dogs

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Rain (IBleed2KnowImAlive)

Age: 17

Eyes: Dark red

Hair: Long black, straight, w/ two red streaks

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Loner

Likes: Music, video games, guitar, piano, candy, reading, writing, singing, dogs, Vampires, ghosts, Zombies, werewolves, horror movies

Dislikes: Annoying people, preppy people, pink, happy music, Miley Cyrus, cats, the Jonas Brothers, jelly beans, bagpipes

Phobia(s): Heights

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Raphael (Sonowa)

Age: 17

Eyes: Hazel w/ thick-rim glasses

Hair: Brown, spiked in back, combed in front

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Goody-Goody

Likes: Video games, cartooning, Italian food, Ostriches

Dislikes: Domesticated animals, potatoes, jocks

Phobia(s): Bridges (Crossing and walking under them)

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Russell (TitanWolf)

Age: 18

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black, slicked back

Nationality: American/Italian

Stereotype: the 'Third Person'

Likes: Puppies, pressing flowers, old Gangster movies

Dislikes: Rats (Human and Rodent), loud noises, mints

Phobia(s): Cats

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Shaya (MunkEGurl17)

Age: 16

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Black shoulder-length, wavy, layered

Nationality: Indian

Stereotype: the Girly-Girl

Likes: Reading, writing, daydreaming, talking, swimming, biking

Dislikes: Jerks, haters, players

Phobia(s): Sharks, fish

**

* * *

**

COUNSELORS

**(Alphabetically)**

_**Name: Ariane (Thunder-Handicapy-Godess)**_

Age: 16

Eyes: Dark blue, w/ a bit of grey  
Hair: Dark brown (Dyed copper)

Nationality: Canadian

Stereotype: the Trivial Girl

Likes: Root beer, iced tea, junk food, friends, nice people, her crush, computer, writing, reading, pools, relaxing, sleeping, being lazy, the SIMS 2, animals, being away from school, family, soda Crush, Mountain Dew, mountains, beach, badminton, volleyball, tennis

Dislikes: Mints, measles, ignorant people, alcohol, school, school trips, more

Phobia(s): Zombies, sharks, swaps, huge dogs, heights, ladders, losing friends, being grounded or suspended

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Daniel (surferdude9817)

Age: 15

Eyes: Brown, w/ thick-rim glasses

Hair: Brown, shaggy

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Seemingly Gay Straight Boy

Likes: Talking, laughing, parties, befriending new people, smiling, swimming, acting, hugs

Dislikes: Snobs, dullness, hatred, school

Phobia(s): Being the outcast, being hated, heights, the dark

**_

* * *

_**

Name: Jaro (TDIAwesome)

Age: 16

Eyes: Teal

Hair: Dark brown, long bangs

Nationality:

Stereotype: _the_ Guy

Likes: Music, animals, girls, action

Dislikes: Loud noises, the cold, snobs, being ignored

Phobia(s): Being crushed by a falling tree

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Jasmine (Nova48)

Age: 17

Eyes: Ice blue

Hair: Golden blond, mid-back, w/natural blond highlights, bangs

Nationality: American/French

Stereotype: the Nice Popular Girl that Guys Tend to Crush On

Likes: Music (plays the guitar and piano), singing (has an amazing voice), animals, snowboarding, surfing, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, running, dancing

Dislikes: Snobs, bullies, mean people, snakes, spiders, and bugs

Phobia(s): Spiders, snakes, being alone, being cheated on, shots

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Jessica (kris+james+rebecca)

Age: 19

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Shoulder-length black

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the All-American Girl

Likes: Singing, dancing, swimming

Dislikes: Roaches

Phobia(s): Men with hairy legs wearing dresses

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Kimmy (Coastarieka 426)

Age: 16

Eyes: Green

Hair: Brown, shoulder-length, ponytail

Nationality: American/Italian

Stereotype: the Outgoing Girl

Likes: Sports (especially soccer), jokes, music, hot guys, environment

Dislikes: Pollution, people who hate Will Smith, snobs, fakes

Phobia(s): Spiders, heights, ghosts, John McCain

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Norma (surferdude9817)

Age: 59

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Fading red

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Grandmother

Likes: Music, a 'good read', sunset views, peace and quiet, lazy afternoons

Dislikes: Loud noises, gossip, crudeness, heat

Phobia(s): Snakes, water, cows

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Osairia (missingthepoint)

Age: 16

Eyes: Dark Brown

Hair: Dark Brown

Nationality:

Stereotype: the Evil Sweet Girl

Likes: Chocolate, coffee, bad boys, books, Japanese culture, being called Osiris (the Egyptian God of the Afterlife)

Dislikes: Messy people, liars, Heather, Chris McClean, Algebra, the constant mispronunciation of her name

Phobia(s): Lizards, clowns, mimes, dry fish, being shot from a giant slingshot

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Reggie (Dshak)

Age: 16

Eyes: Green

Hair: Brown

Nationality: Jamaican

Stereotype: the Beach Boy

Likes: Books, games

Dislikes: Physical activity

Phobia(s): Slime, dogs

_**

* * *

**_

Name: Wolf (The Romantic Comedian)

Age: 25

Eyes: Dark red

Hair: Jet black, w/ silver lightning streak

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Biker

Likes: Harleys, heavy metal

Dislikes: Peppy people, Miley Cyrus

Phobia(s): None (so he says)

**

* * *

**

OTHERS

_****_

Name: Kia (weapon13WhiteFang)

Position: Co-Hostess

Age: 22

Eyes: Icy blue

Hair: Raven black, mid-back, straight

Nationality: American

Stereotype: the Typical Texan

Likes: Flirting (with Chris), fighting, bunnies, dangerous stunts

Dislikes: Pink

Phobia(s): Never finding that certain someone, My Little Ponies, being stuck in a closet with only Chef's food to eat


	4. Welcome to Camp!, Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island, or the characters Alberto, Alex, Alice, Ashlynn, Ben, Chris, Destiny, Even, Grace, Jack, Jordan, Josh, Keala, Lexie, Peiton, Phoebe, Rain, Raphael, Russell, Shaya, Ariane, Jaro, Jasmine, Jessica, Kimmy, Osairia, Reggie, Wolf, or Kia.

I _do_, however, own characters Jamie, Derek, Hillary, Mitch, Norma, and Daniel.

I would like to again state that I do _not_ own Jack. He is an OC created by NekoofWanton. You can check her fanfiction account for more information on him. Now… on with the story!

* * *

"Hello, and welcome to Total Drama Island. I'm your host, Chris McClean," Chris McClean, the co-producer and host of the new reality TV show, Total Drama Island.

"For the next eight weeks, twenty-four teenage campers will travel from all around Canada to come here; Camp Wawanakwa. Unknown to the campers, they will be staying at this rundown summer camp throughout the competition, which we _might_ not have included in the contract they had to sign.

"The competitors will be fighting to win a prize consisting of a full page interview in a cheesy Tabloid magazine, as well as 10,000,000. Which, let's face it, they'll probably blow in less than a week. Even so, those of us who are crewmembers of Total Drama Island will be here to record everything that goes on for the next eight weeks. We'll even be airing the stuff that the Campers don't want to go public, which they'll have the opportunity to share here in the Confessional. We can assure you that in these episodes, there will be competition, hate, love, betrayal, sabotage, and of course… Drama!

"We'll keep ya posted here 24/7, on Total… Drama… Island!"

_

* * *

_

Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine

_You guys are on my mind_

_You asked me what I wanted to be_

_And now I think the answer is plain to see…_

_I wanna be… Famous!_

_I wanna live close to the sun_

_So pack your bags 'cuz I've already won_

_Everything to prove, nothing in my way_

_I'll get there one day!_

_I wanna be… Famous!_

_Na-na-na-na-na_

_Na-na-na-na-na_

_Na-na-na-na-na-na_

_I wanna be…_

_I wanna be…_

_I wanna be famous!_

_I wanna be…_

_I wanna be…_

_I wanna be famous!_

* * *

"Welcome, viewing world!" Chris McClean shouted. "To Total Drama Island! It's me again, here to introduce you to our lucky Campers!"

He looked far over the Camp Wawanakwa Lake. "Speaking of which," he said. "Here comes one of them right now! Ladies and gentleman, help me give a warm Camp Wawanakwa welcome to Destiny!"

A cigarette boat pulled up along the Dock of Shame, knocking lightly against the eroding wood. A girl stepped down from the deck and onto the dock and placed her bags by her feet.

"Hello," she greeted, her voice ice cold.

Chris whistled. "Wow," he catcalled. "You're even hotter than on your audition tape!"

And indeed, she was beautiful. She stood tall in her spot, at about a height of 6, 2''. Her charcoal black hair danced freely in the wind, twisting and turning much like a ballerina on stage. And her eyes, her eyes were the loveliest shade of blue imaginable.

Destiny scowled at him as she tucked a strand of dyed violet hair behind her ear, which was littered with a variety of different piercings. "Don't push your luck."

Chris chuckled. "Oooh… a feisty one."

Someone from behind Chris cleared their throat. The host turned on his heel, and looked into the pair of eyes intent of staring him down. "Hey there, Chris," the girl growled. She tapped the heel of her black stilettos impatiently on the Dock of Shame; obviously unpleased with the actions Chris had made.

Blushing deeply, Chris turned to the camera and said; "Before we introduce any of the other Campers, let me introduce you to my girlfriend-"

"Fiancée," the girl cut in, making a gesture toward the giant rock that sat on her ring finger.

"Right," Chris said. "My _fiancée_, Kia."

Kia waved into the camera, the anger in her eyes dissolved upon her recognition. "Great to be here to help Chris host TDI."

Chris nodded his head in agreement, then turned back to Destiny. "Destiny," he said. "If you'd be so kind as to stand with Kia at the end of the Dock of Shame, and await the arrival of the other Campers?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Destiny walked toward where Kia stood at the end of the dock.

"Thank you. Now, here comes our next Camper, Russel!"

The cigarette boat pulled up again, bearing on its deck a tall, well-built boy. He jumped over the boat's polished railing, landing with a thud on the Dock of Shame.

"Chris," Russell said, bowing his head in a formal welcome.

"Russel!" Chris shouted, his voice enthusiastic. "Great to see ya my man!"

"Likewise," Russell replied. He looked behind Chris to Kia and Destiny. He purred lightly. "Well, well, well…"

"Don't get too friendly," Destiny snapped, flipping Russell the bird.

Russell laughed. "Russell likes 'em feisty."

"Dude," Chris whispered. "Exactly what I said."

"Well, as the saying goes; Great minds think alike."

Chris, being the egomaniac he is, blushed at this and immediately started digging for more compliments. "Aw. You think I have a great mind?"

"No," Russell admitted. "But you've got an evil one, which is _much_ better."

"Finally! Someone who appreciates my wicked mind!"

"Russell seems to recall Heather and Gwen from Season One enjoying Chris' twisted mind as well."

"No," Chris corrected. "They _admired_ how twisted it was, however, they hated seeing it at work."

"Well, Chris should try and hit Russell with his best shot, because Russell came here to win this thing!" With a pump of his fist, Russell walked to stand beside Destiny.

"Ben and Peiton!" Chris shouted as the next two Campers hopped off the cigarette boat. "Great to see you both."

"All right!" Peiton screeched, jumping in the air and flailing her arms and legs through the air. "Camp Wawanakwa!" And then she let out a wild howl.

Chris slapped his hand to his head. "Great," he grumbled. "The producers chose another Izzy."

Peiton's eye twitched, and her body shook violently. "_What_ did you say!?" She shouted through barred teeth.

Chris whimpered in fear, and pulled Ben in front of him. "Dude. What did I do?"

Ben sighed and shook his head. "Peiton hates it when people make a comparison between her and Izzy. She thinks she's nothing like her, even though she is to an extent."

"To an _extent_?" Chris sputtered. "The chick arrived to Camp Wawanakwa almost as hyped up as Izzy was in Season One."

"I know that, and you know that," Ben agreed. "But Peiton thinks she's perfectly collected."

"What do you mean I _think_ I'm collected!?"

"Ok then! While I call in the SWAT team to take care of your sister, Ben, I want you to stand by Russell over there."

"Sure thing. Just, make sure they don't go too rough on her."

"I'll do my best," Chris reassured him. "But for now, let's give a welcome to Jamie!"

A short boy hopped off the boat and onto the dock, stumbling as he lost his balance. His mouth was turned down in an angry scowl, and his dark brown eyes sparked with annoyance. "You've gotta be kidding me," he said. "We're gonna be staying _here_?"

"Of course," Chris answered. "This is the same place that the contestants stayed last time. Why wouldn't you guys?"

"Um, _maybe_ because of the multiple injuries the previous Campers suffered while they were here?"

"What injuries?" Chris asked.

"Let's see," Jamie said, counting off the injuries on his fingers. "Cody, Katie, Sadie, and Owen were attacked by bears, Izzy was attacked by a rattlesnake, Trent and Lindsay were trapped in quicksand, Bridgette was sprayed by skunks, Sadie and Katie suffered from poison ivy, and LeShawna had to wrestle crocodiles."

"Alligators," Chris corrected.

"You're really not helping your case," Jamie replied as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Chris frowned. "Whatever, dude. Just go stand by the others and help us welcome our next Camper."

The cigarette boat pulled up again. A pasty pale boy clad in all black stepped onto the dock, his shoulders slumped and a small frown on his face. "Hey," he greeted.

Jamie looked the boy over and gawked. "Derek?" He asked.

The boy looked at Jamie and smiled. "Jamie?"

Jamie gasped. "Holy shit! Dude, I haven't seen you in forever!"

Chris stared at the small scene. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah," Derek answered. "We used to go to the same middle school right before I transferred. I haven't seen him in nearly five years."

"Wow. Next time, I'll have to dig deeper into the Campers' backgrounds before I select 'em."

Jamie and Derek laughed.

"Yeah," Chris continued. "Just go stand at the end of the dock with your boyfriend, and we can get on with this thing."

Derek froze. "He's not my boyfriend."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "He's not?"

"No!" Derek yelled. "God! He was my best friend!"

"Oh," Chris blushed. "But, on Jamie's application, he said he was bi."

"I am," Jamie responded, to which Ben quickly backed away. "But I've never seen Derek as anything more than a friend."

"Oh. Well, before this gets any more awkward than it already is, let's welcome Alice."

A girl with gleaming blue eyes and blond air that swayed gently behind her was the next off the boat. She walked briskly to where Chris, Jamie, and Derek stood, and dipped her head. "Great to be here, Chris," she said.

"Alice," Chris purred. "Lookin' good."

Alice giggled. "Thanks, but I already got a boyfriend."

Nobody noticed Derek's face fall. "Really?" Chris asked. "Because on your application, it said you were single."

Jamie cut in. "Chris, haven't you learned by now that the applications can be misleading?"

"Well," Alice started. "He isn't exactly my boyfriend as he is my dream guy."

"Oooh…" Peiton gasped. "Sounds mysterious. Who is it?"

"Edward Cullen…"

Chris frowned. "You mean the 'Twilight' character?"

A light blush creeped over Alice's face. "Maybe…"

"Oh, wow," Chris whispered. "That uh… That's kinda sad."

"I know," Alice admitted. "But have you _seen_ the guy playing him? He's fucking gorgeous!"

Chris nearly had a heart attack on the spot. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What did you just say?"

Alice looked at Chris, her face contorted into a mask of puzzlement. "That the guy playing him is gorgeous?"

"Not that!" He shouted. "_Before_ you said gorgeous."

Alice touched her finger to her lip and thought. "Oh," she said, realization dawning on her. "You mean fu-"

"Yes!" Chris hollered. "Yes! You guys _cannot_ cuss on this show! It's a show approved for all ages!"

"What are you talking about?" Destiny asked. "Owen and Lindsay dropped huge curses last Season, and they were even edited out. And this show is for kids 8 and above!"

Chris grit his teeth together. "Why must there _always_ be sassy teens on this show? Why, God, why?"

Jamie shrugged. "Because it boosts ratings. In which case, you really shouldn't be complaining. After all, the better the ratings, the more you get paid."

"Dude's got a point," Peiton agreed.

Sighing, Chris nodded at the teens. "Okay," he said. "Just say 'hi' to Even and Alberto."

Two boys, one muscled and tan, and the other lanky and pale, jumped excitedly onto the dock.

"Dudes!" The pale one yelled. "I'm so totally _stoked_ to be here! Seriously! This is awesome!"

"Dude," the muscular guy whispered, trying his best to calm the other down. "Chill out."

"Sorry, Al," the pale one replied. "I just can't believe this."

Alberto laughed. "It's okay, Even," he reassured. He turned his attention to Chris and the others, and his face split into a giant grin.

"Hey there," he said, stretching his arm towards Chris. "I'm Alberto."

"I know, dude. I saw the audition tape."

Alberto frowned a bit, not receiving the welcome he'd hoped for. "Just being polite."

"I can see we've got the DJ and Geoff stereotypes here," Chris said as he pointed towards the two. "And Jamie is definitely the Noah of the group."

"Hey," Jamie scowled. "Noah was awesome, okay? I mean, come on!"

Chris rolled his eyes in Jamie's general direction. "Whatever. Anyway, here comes our next sucker! I mean… Camper!"

Another male Camper came into view as the boat pulled up. He wore a stereotypical 'emo' outfit; a black T-shirt with the sleeves cut off and a pink rose in the middle, black skinny jeans with electric green streaks shooting up both sides, fingerless gloves, and on his feet he wore an aged pair of black Vans. His sickly sweet smile offset this look quite drastically.

"Hey there, Jack," Chris welcomed.

Jack walked to Chris and bumped his fist lightly against the host's. "Great to be here, Chris," he said.

"Great to have you here," Chris responded. "And according to your application, you're gay?"

Jack beamed as though he'd heard Christmas had come early. "Yes, I am, Chris," he said.

Chris grinned mischievously. "Then maybe you should get to know Jamie here a little better," he said as he pulled Jamie by the shoulders and pushed him right into Jack.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Jamie said, his voice dry. "I think I'm capable of picking out who I get to know."

"Aw, come on," Jack said, his voice containing a hint of childish whine. "I'm not a bad guy!"

He then wrapped his arm around Jamie's waist and pressed the smaller boy up against his chest. Jamie, in a state of anger and shock slapped Jack's arm harsher than necessary.

"Don't get too touchy," he hissed.

Jack frowned. "I was only joking, Jamie. Shit."

"Thank God for censorship," Chris muttered.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Jamie sat with his arms crossed over his chest, frown still resting on his face. "Okay," he said. "I've only known this Jack guy for about two minutes, and I already loathe him. I mean, come _on_! It doesn't matter if you're joking or not, that just isn't a good way to introduce yourself to someone, even if someone else made a nod towards the idea. Chris…"

-Jack shook his head in disbelief. "Wow, Jamie's _really_ uptight," he whispered. "I mean, _really_ uptight. Courtney wasn't even as bad as he was, and I grew up just down the street from her!"

-Chris flashed his gleaming white smile. "So it's only the first five minutes of the show, and already I'm stirring up drama. Could I ask for a better job?"

* * *

Chris laughed at the little spat he'd conducted. "All right, Jamie," he said. "I was just joking around. You and Jack can go back to the edge of the dock."

Jamie pushed himself away from Jack and straightened his posture. "Gladly."

He stalked off towards Alice, leaving Jack behind. The emo dressed boy sighed, and he too walked over toward Alice.

A tall girl with a curvy body was the next arrival. Her wavy blond hair bounced as she walked toward the others, a cutting edge in her step. She placed her hands on her hips as she examined her surroundings.

"Well," she said dryly. "_This_ should be a bucket of fun."

**

* * *

******

Confessional Stall

-"Wonderful," Alice said. "Another Heather."

* * *

"Hillary," Chris said. "Looking great! Maybe later the two of us can get to know each other a little better…"

Destiny slapped Chris in the back of the head. "Dude, _how many_ chicks are you gonna flirt with? I mean, your fiancée is _right_ there," she said as she pointed to Kia.

"Aw," Chris gushed. "She knows I'm only joking. Right, babe?"

Kia rolled her eyes. "You'd better be, or else someone will wake up tomorrow morning with a certain _something_ missing."

Peiton laughed maniacally. "Oh, _burn_!" She yelled.

Ben flinched at his sister's insane outbursts. "Uh, Chris?" He whispered to the host.

"Yeah, Ben?"

"How's that SWAT team coming along?"

Chris chuckled. "Don't worry, my man," he said. "They'll be here shortly."

"Thanks," Ben said.

"No problem. But until they get here, let's welcome our next Camper, Mitch!"

Mitch was by far the tallest Camper so far, at least 6, 5''. His head was a blaze of straightened hot pink flames that dangled over his left eye. He flashed the Campers a razor smile, and walked over to where Jamie and Alice stood

"Well _hello_ there," he slurred as he slapped Jamie's ass and grazed his arm lightly against Alice's breast.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Jamie's face was a bright red and his hands were balled into fists down by his sides. "Okay," he hissed. "How many times is shit like this gonna happen? Seriously, there should be fine print on that contract that says 'Warning; Your stay at Camp Wawanakwa may result in you being sexually harassed!' And how many of the guys here are gay?"

-Alice sobbed into her hands. "I'm so sorry, Edward!"

* * *

"Ew," Jamie spat. "_Never_ come near my ass with that hand _again_!"

Mitch grinned again. "Aw," he pouted. "Would you prefer I came near your ass with something else instead?"

Jamie paled and Chris nearly vomited. "Okay," Chris said after a sharp intake of breath. "Before things get too mature for this show, let's welcome Alexandra."

The girl that had just walked off the boat glared at Chris. "It's Alex. Not _Alexandra_."

"Why not?" Kia asked. "It's a beautiful name!"

Alex frowned. "It's just so… ugh."

"I know what you mean," Chris said. "Christopher ain't too appealing. That's why I prefer Chris."

"Hey, look," Peiton said, interrupting Chris and Alex's little conversation on undesired names. "It's another Camper!"

Peiton was right. The other Campers turned to see a short boy exit the boat, and trip over an untied shoelace and then go face-first onto the dock. He groaned in pain as Chris came to his aid and helped him get upright again.

"Chris," Chris said to the boy.

"Chris," the boy said.

Chris turned from Chris to look at the other Campers. "Now guys, there's one thing you should know about Chris."

"You two share the same name?" Destiny guessed.

Chris (the host) arched an eyebrow at Destiny and then gasped. "Oh, hey! We do, don't we?"

The Campers shook their heads in disbelief, unable to comprehend how someone with such a twisted, witty mind could miss something so painfully obvious.

"Well that will get too confusing if we have two Chris's! So," he said as he picked the boy up by the collar of his shirt. "_This_ Chris will be known as… Eric!"

'Christian' looked at Chris. "'Christian'?" He asked.

"Yeah," Chris said. "That way you're not too far off from your real name."

'Christian' shrugged his shoulders. "Then 'Christian' I'll be."

"Good," Chris grinned. "Anyway, as I was saying before renaming Chris, there is something you should know about 'Christian'. 'Christian' here is only twelve years old."

"Say _what_?" Destiny asked.

"He's only twelve," Chris repeated.

"But don't you have to be at least sixteen to be on TDI?" Derek asked, thinking back to the contract he'd signed before coming on the show.

"No. You just had to have to have sufficient grades and be in at least the 10th grade. Chris skipped from Grade 5 to Grade 11, and he's managed to keep a steady 3.7 GPA."

"Wow," Jamie mused. "I'm impressed. I've only met one other person who's skipped a grade and she only skipped from Grade 6 to Grade 7."

"Yeah, well my mom and dad are both college professors," 'Christian' said. "They had me start doing twelfth grade work at age five."

"Wasn't that kind of a pain, or even just a bit challenging?"

"Not really," 'Christian' said. "I'd heard my parents go over how to do all the steps, and what some confusing words meant. I didn't even know what the hell I was doing, but I did all the work right."

"Okay, Campers," Chris said. "Before we get too off subject, welcome Grace."

A tumbleweed of curly brown hair rolled onto the dock, stopping mere inches in front of Chris.

"Hey, Chris, everyone," Grace greeted.

"Hey there, Grace," Chris greeted back. "Excited to be here on TDI?"

Grace chuckled. "You bet. I love this show!"

"Well that's good to hear. Now, just stand over by the other Campers as we wait for the other nine to arrive."

"Sure thing."

She jogged over to where Alex stood. "Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Grace."

Alex smiled. "Alexandra. But call me Alex."

"And this is Russell," Russell said as he gestured to himself. "And Russell likes what he sees."

"Well Russell better stop talking in the third person point of view if he wants to stand a chance with Grace," Grace laughed.

Russell laughed too and started over. "Sorry," he said. "Kinda an old habit of mine."

"I understand," Grace said. "Old habits dies hard."

"Russell loves that Grace understands," Russell said, to which Grace couldn't help but laugh.

"Jordan!" Chris called to the boy who'd just stepped of the cigarette boat.

"Chris McClean," Jordan smiled. "Awesome to meet one of my idols in the flesh!"

"Idol?" Chris asked. "Really?"

"Of course, dude! Have you _seen_ what your brain comes up with? I mean, shark jumps, deadly dodgeballs, sending unprotected Campers into bear ridden forests? How could I _not_ idolize that?"

"The same way the rest of us don't," Destiny answered.

"Rhetorical question," Jordan said.

"Phoebe!"

The Campers could swear they saw lightning crash about them as Phoebe jumped onto the deck. Her pixie-like hair twisted sinisterly in the nonexistent wind and her brown eyes dimmed to an evil black.

"Chris," she said. She looked at the other Campers. "Victims."

"Loving the 'tude," Chris commented, patting Phoebe on the shoulder.

Phoebe scowled at the contact and jerked herself away. "_Never_ touch me."

"Right," Chris agreed. "Forgot about that. Anyway, here comes Keala!"

Keala stepped off the boat with grace, and touched down lightly on the dock. She bat her light blue eyes and flipped her long blond ponytail behind her. "Hey," she said. "I'm Keala."

"Great to have you here, Keala," Chris said.

"And it's great to _be_ here."

"Glad you think so," Chris said. "Because this run down camp's gonna be your home for the next few months."

Keala shrugged. "I can deal with that."

"Lexie!" Chris hollered, dismissing Keala with a wave of his hand.

An African-American girl walked toward the others and smiled. "How's it going, y'all?" She asked. "Great to be here."

"Rain, great to see you," Chris said as another girl walked off the boat.

Rain stomped loudly toward Chris, here eyebrows arched in anger above her sparkling red eyes. "Chris McClean. Just so you know, the only reason I came on this show is to make sure _you_ go down!"

Chris pulled at the collar of his shirt, sweating madly at the surprisingly frightening threat. It wasn't very often that threats scared him, but something about this girl creeped him out. "Nice to see you, too, Rain. Now please, go stand over by the others."

"Whatever," she snarled.

"Josh, my man!" Chris yelled.

A boy with spiky black hair and equally black eyes jumped off the boat next. He flipped wildly through the air and landed atop Chris' shoulders. "Great to be here on TDI, man!" He yelled.

Chris laughed at Josh's little display. "And I thought you were a gaming wizard? Not a genius?"

"Oh that?" Josh asked. "That doesn't normally happen. I'm just so excited to be here! And you're totally right in assuming that I'm a gaming wizard. I _rule_ at Wow!"

Hillary laughed. "Talk about your stereotypical nerd," she sneered.

Josh peered behind him and hopped off of Chris' shoulders. He pointed a finger at the blond and said, "Hey! Shut up you tipsy bitch."

Letting out a deep sigh, Chris turned his attention back toward the cigarette boat. "Shaya, my Indian beauty. Great to see you in person."

Shaya stepped out onto the dock, her flip-flops flapping at her feet as she made her way toward Chris. "It's wonderful to be here," she said, her voice heavy with excitement.

Chris smiled at her. "All right, only two Campers have yet to arrive, so let's give it up for Ashlynn!"

Ashlynn stepped off the boat. "Hey, guys. What's happening?"

"Nothing much, Ashlynn," Chris responded. "Just waiting for our final arrival!"

"Sweet," Ashlynn said as she went to walk toward the others.

"And our final competitor, all the way from L.A, is _Raphael_!"

Raphael stepped off the boat, but didn't make any movements afterward. Instead, he just stood in one spot, as though he were bound in place.

"Dude, you okay?" Chris asked.

Out of nowhere, Raphael pulled out a clipboard and thick black Sharpie. He scribbled something on the board in a flash and then handed it over to Chris.

It took Chris a second to decipher the untidy scrawl. "I'm fine," he read out loud. "Great to be here."

He threw a puzzled glance at Raphael. Raphael, now without his clipboard, blushed a bit and then stuttered. "I – I don't like to talk much. I find it easier to just write down what I want to say."

Chris threw Raphael another puzzled glance. "Okay… Well, since all twenty-four of you have arrived, I guess we can start breaking down the teams. But _first_…"

Chris jumped onto the cigarette boat and pulled a small Sony digital camera out of his back pocket. "I need to take a group shot for the Season promo. Everyone gather at the end of the Dock of Shame!"

"Hold it," Jamie cut in. "The dock isn't gonna cave in under us like it did to the others last season, is it?"

"Of _course_ not!" Chris yelled, offended that Jamie would even make that assumption. "We spent months reconstructing this dock so that it was perfectly safe! Now gather on the end so I can take a pic!"

Against their better judgement, the twenty-four teens walked over to the dock's edge and struck their own individual poses.

"Okay," Chris said. "Now everyone say 'Wawanakwa'."

The teens rolled their eyes, but obliged. "Wawanakwa!"

And just as Chris flashed the picture, the dock collapsed under the teens, sending all of them plummeting into the icy waters of Lake Wawanakwa.

"All right," Chris said through bouts of laughter. "Every-everyone dr-dry off and meet me by the campfire sight in twenty minutes. Then we'll break down the teams!"

* * *

Sorry this chapter sucks, and I'm incredibly sorry if I didn't portray you're character as you wanted.

In case your wondering what the group photo looks like; read the description below.

_**TOP ROW:**_ Alex, Alice, Alberto, Even, Rain, Hillary, Russell, Grace

-Alex is jumping in the air with both of her arms above her head and making the 'hang loose' signal with both of her hands.

-Alice is doing the same as Alex, only she's making a piece sign with only one hand

-Alberto is standing tall and proud in the back with Even on top of his shoulders

-Even is trying to desperately hang on

-Rain is standing with her arms crossed over her chest, hip jutting out to the right, and scowling hatefully at the camera

-Hillary is waving her bony fingers and wearing a sinister smile

-Russell is holding Grace tightly against him and making kissy faces at her

-Grace is laughing and making the same faces back at Russell

_**SECOND ROW:**_ Derek, Jamie, Mitch, Jack

-Derek is giving the camera a small but kind smile

-Jamie is trying to push Mitch off of him

-Mitch is kissing Jamie's neck

-Jack is trying not to crack up at the angry expression on Jamie's face

_**THIRD ROW:**_ Destiny, Ashlynn, Keala, Lexie, Raphael, Jordan, Phoebe

-Destiny is chatting with Ashlynn and not paying attention to Chris

-Ashlynn is trying to block Destiny out while keeping a smile on her face

-Keala has an arm draped over Lexie's shoulder

-Lexie has both of her arms draped over either Keala or Raphael and is sticking her tongue out jokingly

-Raphael is blushing at the contact from both Lexie and Jordan while he clutches his clipboard to his chest

-Jordan is wrapping one arm around Raphael's shoulders and one around Phoebe's waist (much to Phoebe's obvious disgust), while giving a bright smile

-Phoebe is holding an iPod in her hand and flipping the camera off (the finger gesture is pixeled out, of course)

_**BOTTOM ROW:**_ Shaya, 'Christian', Peiton, Ben, Josh

-Shaya is leaning against Eric's back

-'Christian' is leaning against Shaya's back while he plays some unidentifiable game on his PSP

-Peiton is leaning against Ben's back while she howls upward towards the sky

-Ben is leaning against Peiton's back while he buries his face in his hands

-Josh is resting his head on Ben's knees, wrapping his left arm around them, and making the peace sign toward the camera


	5. Welcome to Camp!, Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own TDI or any of its original characters. The only things I own are the story itself, and the characters Jamie, Derek, Hillary, Mitch, Norma, and Daniel.

* * *

The twenty-two Campers sat before the bonfire pit, seated on the rough tree stumps rooted into the hard ground. A few small groups sat talking amongst themselves while other Campers, like Raphael and Alice, had chosen to keep quietly to themselves. However, as the Campers went about their selected activities, they couldn't help but wonder just where in the hell Chris and Kia were.

"Oh, Campers!" Chris' voice carried over the island, amplified with his handy megaphone.

The Campers turned one by one to face in the direction of Chris' voice. He and Kia stood on the small ledge behind them, Chris' arm draped casually around Kia's waist as she clung to his broad shoulders.

"Before we split you up into teams," he said. "I would like you to introduce you to a few other people.

Five people came up on either side of Chris, clad in red and green polo shirts and light blue jeans. They wore passes around their necks, and in all of their hands, there was a clipboard complete with pen and highlighter. The Campers groaned.

"Chris," Jamie started. "_Please_ tell me that these people aren't-"

"Camp Counselors?" Chris interrupted. "Why, yes Jamie, yes they are."

The Campers nearly fell off their tree stumps at the mention of Counselors. None of them had signed up to be babied and watched over.

"Oh come on, guys," Chris pleaded. "They aren't gonna be like those annoying peppy, rulebook-thumping, whistle blowing Counselors you see so commonly portrayed on TV!"

Kia swiped the megaphone from Chris. "He's right," she said. "These Counselors were only selected to be sort of an emotional refuge. Whenever you need to talk something out, these guys are here."

"So basically they're like school guidance counselors?" Ben asked, cringing.

"Kinda," Kia answered. "But we'll talk more about what they're here for later, for now Chris and I are gonna tell you which team each Counselor will be representing."

She handed Chris back his megaphone. "Acting as Counselors for the Killer Bass… are Ariane, Jasmine, Jessica, Osairia, and Reggie!"

Five Counselors; one boy and four girls, stepped in front of Chris and Kia.

"Okay, guys," Chris said. "Why don't you tell the Campers a bit about yourselves? Let's start with you, Reggie, since you're the only dude Counselor for the Killer Bass."

The boy took the megaphone from Chris and brought it to his mouth. "Hey guys, I'm Reggie."

"Boy," Phoebe droned. "I'm sure _none_ of us could've figured that out."

Reggie shot Phoebe a dirty look. "As I was saying, I'm Reggie. I'm currently attending Western Canada High where I'm a junior. I'm here to listen to anything you guys have to say, and if you're looking for a good sports competitor, I'm your guy."

"Thank you, Reggie," Chris said, taking back his megaphone. "Good intro. Now, I think I'll have Jasmine go next, if she doesn't mind."

"Not at all," said the girl on Chris' far right. She whipped her honey blond hair over her shoulder and walked to stand beside Reggie, taking the megaphone on her way.

She settled her icy blue eyes so that they were fixed on the Campers and said; "Hey there, Campers. As you already know, I'm Jasmine. Like Reggie, I'm attending Western Canada High, only I'm a senior. I'm a great person to go to for advice with relationship problems and for 'personal' problems.

"If you ever want to find me, I'm usually in the Mess Hall working on my laptop or tanning over on the Dock of Shame. Boys, you'll probably wanna find me there," she joked.

"Jessica?" Chris asked the girl standing right beside him.

Jasmine handed the megaphone over to Jessica, who shifted uncomfortably beside her. "Hey," she squeaked, twirling her charcoal hair nervously in between her fingers. "I'm Jessica."

The Campers stared at her, wondering why on earth she had volunteered to be a Counselor if she were so afraid of public speaking. "Oh, wow, there's a lot of you. I only expected like… ten."

"I'll handle it, Jess," Even said from the crowd of Campers.

Jessica smiled and the other Campers, besides Alberto, stared at Even as though he'd gone insane. He ignored this though, and pulled himself onto the ledge so that he stood beside the trembling Counselor.

"So, dudes," he shouted into the megaphone. "This is mine and Alberto's longtime friend, Jessica. She attends Brandon University, where she is starting her freshman year."

Jessica just nodded.

"She's an awesome girl who I had the privilege of dating two years back, and she can really listen to your problems and console you.

"Also, if you're ever in the mood for something good to chow down on, Jess is your girl! Seriously, if Chef Hatchet's still cooking for us, you'll want her."

"Thanks, Even," she said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

"No sweat, Jessica."

"Okay, thanks Jessica and Even," Chris said, taking the megaphone from them. "Ariane, you're up next."

A tanned girl with long brown/gray hair stepped up next, a small grin on her face. "Hey guys," she greeted. "It's great to be a counselor here at Camp Wawanakwa.

"I'm a student at Oak Bay High School, and I'm a junior. Like Reggie, I'm here to listen to your problems, but _only_ listen. As much as I'd love to offer advice on how to resolve them, I'm not the best person for the job.

"However, I _can_ have you and whoever it is that's bothering you come to me and we can try and work it out that way. So, just come find me over by the boathouse if you ever wanna talk. I like to fish over there in my free time."

"Right on, Ariane," Chris cheered. "Osairia!"

The only girl left on Chris' right came to the front, a scowl that looked as though it had taken years to perfect rested on her face.

"Hey," she said, her voice venom-ridden. "I'm Osairia, Oh-Sare-Ee-Uh. _Learn_ it."

And with that, she turned back towards her fellow Counselors.

"Ain't she a peach?" Chris joked, to which Osairia quickly punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" He whined. "Dude!"

Osairia glared daggers at Chris, and he shut up. "Right then, let's get to know the other Counselors, shall we? For the Screaming Gophers, we have Daniel, Jaro, Kimmy, Norma, and Wolf."

The other five Counselors stepped up to the left of Kia.

"Daniel, you can go first."

A short boy with caramel skin and glasses just like Jamie's stepped up. He twirled the megaphone over in his hands and then just tossed it onto the ground.

"I'm sure you can hear me just fine," he said, a surprisingly loud voice coming out of such a small boy. "My name's Daniel, and I'm from California, though I was born in Arizona. I attend the Academy for the Performing Arts with Jamie," he said as he held a hand out toward the Campers.

"I'm a sophomore there, and I specialize in singing and dancing, while Jamie specializes in singing and acting."

"Shut up, Daniel!" Jamie shouted.

Daniel laughed. "You mean you didn't _tell_ them?"

"Of course I didn't! Why on earth _would_ I?"

"Um, maybe because you've been there since the fourth grade?"

"Whatever," Jamie barked. "Just get back to introducing yourself."

"Right," Daniel agreed. "As I was saying, I specialize in singing and dancing, so if you ever wanna come talk to me, you can find me over by the amphitheater. People can come talk to me with their problems, and even for a hug if you want it. I give great hug, don't I, Jamie?"

Jamie blushed. "You're hugs _hurt_, Daniel. They are in no way enjoyable."

"Aw, " Daniel gushed. "Somebody's cranky!"

"And how is it that with your flamboyant attitude, you're straight, and I'm bi?" Jamie asked.

"IDK!"

"Okay!" Chris shouted. "Before you take up the entire half-hour for this show, let's give Norma the megaphone."

Chris shoved Daniel behind him and picked the microphone up off the ground. He handed it to a mid-aged looking woman with fading red hair and paper looking skin.

"Hello there," she greeted, her voice quivery. "I'm Norma Barnes, but you can just call me Norma."

"I'm pretty sure we were planning on that anyway," Derek whispered to Jamie, who chuckled.

"I love listening to peoples' problems and helping them find the solutions to them. So anytime you want help, come find me."

She handed the megaphone off to Chris, and walked toward Daniel.

"Thank you, Norma. Jaro and Wolf?"

Two tall, well built boys came up next, arms crossed over their chests. "Hey," the taller of the two said. "I'm Wolf." He tucked his jet black hair behind his ears and nudged the other boy.

"I'm Jaro," he said. "We're brothers."

Wolf nodded to Jaro and clapped him harshly on the back. "We were born and bred in Utah, where Jaro attends Beaver High, while I attend Harvard U."

A majority of the Campers looked impressed; surprised that someone who looked like Wolf would find interest or have the grades to attend Harvard.

"Alright. Thank you guys," Chris said. "And finally, we have Kimmy."

Kimmy stepped forward from her spot beside Norma and took the megaphone from Jaro. "Kimmy's the name," she said. "And I don't have anything to say that you haven't heard already. I'm a student at Claremont High in California, and I'm here to help you guys with any problems you may have while here. If you ever wanna talk, you can usually find me helping Chef Hatchet find new _edible_ recipes."

The Campers applauded, and Kimmy laughed. "I hope to be of as much assistance as I possibly can. Thank you."

And with that, she joined the other nine Counselors beside Chris, who smiled.

"Okay, then. Now that we all know each other, we can start the team breakdowns. The teams are still Killer Bass and Screaming Gophers, since the names were so popular in with the Season 1 fans.

"When I call your names," he said. "Go stand by Norma."

Norma waved.

"Even… Shaya… Jordan… Alice,"

The four of them walked to where Norma stood, so far seeming pleased with their teammates.

"Ashlynn and Jamie…"

The two teens smiled and walked toward the other four.

"Mitch."

"_What_!?" Jamie shouted. "You mean I have to sleep next to _him_?"

Mitch smiled, a little to happily, and slid over to where Jamie stood. "Oh come on, Jamie," he whispered. "I'll be a good boy."

Jamie growled in the back of his throat, and said through his teeth; "It would be in your best interest to do so."

"Moving along," Chris cut back in. "Raphael, Phoebe, and Grace. And then Jack and Peiton."

Peiton's eyes widened. "Wait," she said. "What about Ben?"

But Chris simply ignored her and pulled from behind him a jade green banner. "You guys will be the _Screaming Gophers_! The rest of you…

"Lexie, Rain, Russell, Alex, 'Christian', Josh, Alberto, Hillary, Destiny, Keala, Derek, and… Ben! You guys will be the _Killer Bass_!"

"You're putting Peiton and I on separate teams!?" Ben shouted. "That's not fair!"

Chris snickered. "Them's the brakes. And nobody will be switching with either of them like Izzy did with Katie in Season 1. All teams are locked as of now, meaning that nobody can leave the teams without being voted out, and nobody can switch over to the other teams.

The cabin layout is the same as last Season, too. Gophers will be in the East cabin, and Bass in the West."

"But you can't do this!" Peiton screeched. "I _need_ to be with Ben!"

"Sorry, hun," Chris laughed. "That's the way the cookie crumbles."

"This isn't fair!"

"Oh _Chef Hatchet_!" Chris yelled, putting an emphasis on Chef's name.

Out of nowhere, Chef Hatchet popped up, cleaver in hand, behind Chris. He glared at Peiton, and said; "Go get your things unpacked with _your_ team, and let your brother unpack with _his_."

Peiton looked sorrowfully at her brother, who nodded as if to say; 'It's okay'.

"Fine."

"Wonderful," Chris said. "Now, go get unpacked and then meet in the Dining Hall. There won't be a challenge today, but Chef, Kia, and I want to see how this will play out. So… get going!"

* * *

Reviews are appreciated. :)


	6. Welcome to Camp!, Part 3

**Screaming Gophers Boys' Cabin**

The Screaming Gophers walked into their decrepit cabin, breaking the screen door off of its rust hinges just be pushing it open. They frowned at the musty scent of dust and mildew, and the possible remains of Owen's nauseous fumes that lingered in the air like a moth to a flame. The cold wood floor was littered with garbage, and the bunk beds looked about as welcoming as a bed of spikes.

Jamie, to nobody's great surprise, let out the first sarcastic remark. "So, how long has Camp Wawanakwa been using the cabins as makeshift torture chambers?"

Jack laughed at the shorter boy's negative attitude. "Oh, come on, Jamie. I'm sure it'll be just fine!"

Sighing, Jamie tossed his black suitcase onto his nearest bunk, kicking up a heavy blanket of dust, and frightening a small army of very angry raccoons out from under it. The raccoons snapped their glittery white fangs at Jamie, who screamed and jumped into Jack's open arms.

"What the hell!?" Jordan asked as he scooted away from the rodents, backing himself and Raphael against the cabin wall. "Did Chris _know_ about this?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Even said as he kicked one of the raccoons out of the shattered cabin window. "He _does_, after all, get sick pleasure out of watching people squirm."

"That doesn't matter right now!" Jamie cried, clutching at Jack's chest as though his life depended on it. "Just get them out of here!"

Jack set Jamie onto the ground, much to Jamie's embarrassment when he realized that he'd jumped into them, and started taking shaky steps toward the raccoons.

"Jack, what the hell are you doing?" Jamie hissed, not wanting to see the boy he hated get ripped to shreds in a flash of lashing claws and razor-sharp teeth.

Jack held up a hand to silence him. "I'm just getting something from my bag."

He stepped nimbly around the angry raccoons and toward Jamie's bunk, and sat down on it, making sure to pull his feet up onto the surface of it. His gloved hands pulled at the dark green backpack he'd thrown at the bed, and started digging into the deep pockets. After only a few seconds, Jack pulled from within the backpack a pair of gleaming wooden nunchucks, and wrung his hands over their surface.

"Mitch," he whispered to the flaming haired boy, not breaking eye contact with the glaring raccoons.

Mitch looked at him, his eyes fearful as a raccoon sniffed at his feet. "Yeah, Jack?"

Jack licked his lips. "I want you to push the door out of the way."

Mitch frowned. "Why?"

"Just do it."

Wanting to get as far away as possible from the curious raccoon, Mitch slowly stepped back to where the cabin door lay in the way of the exit. He got a firm grip on the doors rustic handle and pulled the heavy plank of wood upward and out of the doorway.

"Good," Jack said. "Now guys, Jordan, Even, Jamie, Raphael. Get onto that top bunk." He pointed to the bunk opposite him.

The four boys pulled themselves onto the bed one by one, and Mitch started to, too, but Jack interrupted.

"No, Mitch. I need you on the ground."

Mitch groaned in the back of his throat, still fearing the raccoon that didn't seem to want to leave his feet alone. "Why? Why not one of the others?"

"Because you're the last one on the ground, and also because you lifted that door easily."

Slumming his shoulders so that they were almost down by his waist, Mitch picked the door back up off the ground and walked back toward the doorway.

"Thank you, Mitch," Jack said. "Now, why I shout your name, I want you to slam that damn door back into its place. Okay?"

Mitch nodded.

"Good. Okay, let's try this."

In a flash of shifting black, Jack jumped off the bunk and onto the floor, just in front of the raccoons. He twirled the nunchucks menacingly in front of their faces, and frightened them in Mitch's direction.

"Mitch, now!"

Mitch slammed the door on the raccoons' retreating hides, pushing them out onto the cabin porch and locking them out of the cabin. They then proceeded to run into the woods, chattering amongst themselves as they glared back at the cabin.

"Thank you, Jack!" The boys, minus Jamie and Raphael, screamed in unison.

The four boys jumped off of the top bunk and went to slap Jack on the back.

"Dude, where did you get that idea?" Even asked, awestruck that Jack had so easily thought to use nunchucks while he and the other boys had cowered away from the oversized rodents.

"My sister, Cujo," Jack said. "She and I used to go to karate classes together, before she upgraded to a accelerated black belt. She was a pro when it came to using these babies, and once she even used 'em to ward off a pack of angry gang members."

He smiled proudly as he recalled the sight of the fleeing skinheads that Cujo had beat mercilessly with the same pair of nunchucks that he now held in his hands. "Good times."

Raphael scribbled something on his clipboard and shoved it into Jack's chest when he finished. The emo dressed Gopher had to turn the board upside down in order to read the untidy writing.

"'Dude,'" he read off. "'That was incredible. Maybe you could show me how to do that sometime?'"

Jack smiled at Raphael, who grinned sheepishly. "Sure thing, Raphael," Jack nodded, handing the mute boy back his clipboard.

Raphael bowed his head lightly in thanks, and then turned back to his light blue bag that he'd thrown to the floor when he saw the raccoons.

He started unpacking his stuff while Even, Mitch, and Jordan thanked Jack again and then turned back to their own belongings. The only one who did not bother to offer Jack a vote of thanks, was Jamie, who had already started to silently put his clothes and other belongings into the dresser beside his rocky slate of a bed.

"No 'thanks, Jack'?" Jack teased, nudging Jamie lightly with his elbow.

Jamie scowled at Jack. "While I'll admit that what you just did was moderately impressive and helpful, I do _not_ intend to offer you thanks for it. Though I'm aware that I nearly went into cardiac arrest at the mere sight of those filthy beasts, I don't think what you did can compare to some of the things other people have done in the past."

Jack frowned lightly, a bit upset by Jamie's cold attitude. "Okay then," he said.

He grabbed his backpack from its spot next to Jamie's bag and started placing his belongings into the same dresser Jamie had put his, only he took up the bottom drawer, since the top two were already being used by Jamie and Jordan. When finished, his slid his almost empty backpack under Jamie's bunk and headed out the cabin door, still wearing a frown.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Jack frowned at the camera as he wrung his hands together nervously. "I just don't understand why Jamie hates me. I haven't done anything to him."

-Jamie rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Okay," he said. "I'll admit that maybe I was a little harsher to Jack than he deserved. But come _on_. Just for scaring some raccoons out of our cabin, he wanted me to offer him some huge thanks? I don't think so."

-"Jamie had better make up to Jack for being such a dick before the Gophers lose our first challenge," Even spat. "Otherwise I can pull some strings and make sure his sorry ass gets booted off this island."

-Chris just smiled at the camera, his eyes alive with shear joy. "I just love watching all the crap that goes on between these Campers. Seriously, they get along worse than cats and dogs!"

-Jordan stared into the camera, one eyebrow raised high on his forehead. "Is it just me," he said. "Or are Jamie and Jack starting to act like how Courtney and Duncan did in Season 1? Jamie, of course, being the Courtney. The dude's got a pole up his ass."

**

* * *

**

Screaming Gophers Girls' Cabin

"Get off of my bunk," Phoebe demanded as she glared at Grace, her voice only a harsh whisper.

Grace fidgeted under the taller girl's icy gaze. "But," she stammered. "I _really_ wanted this bunk."

Phoebe's face hardened. "I don't care. I want this bunk, too, and whatever I say goes. Got it?"

"Don't even pull that," Ashlynn said from across the room, glaring harsh at Phoebe.

"Stay out of this, Ashley," Phoebe snapped.

Ashlynn frowned, but didn't otherwise didn't seem the least bit phased by Phoebe's threatening tone. "It's Ashlynn," she said. "And don't think that you can just go around telling us what to do, unless you wanna end up like Eva from Season 1."

Phoebe pulled a black iPod out of her pants pocket. She grasped the end of the earphones loosely in her hand and twirled them at a rapid speed, swatting them at a passing fly, which then fell to the ground, dead. "You wanna take this outside?" She asked, now swinging the earphones toward Ashlynn.

"Ha," Ashlynn laughed. "It'd be my pleasure, Phoebe!"

"Guys, let's not do this," Alice pleaded, stepping in between the two girls. "We're teammates, and though we don't have to _like_ each other, I think we can all agree that we don't want to lose to the Killer Bass."

"Alice is right," Shaya said as she twisted her hair into a long, silky braid. "If we work together on this, we may even be able to get all twelve Killer Bass voted off first. Then we'd have that much less to worry about."

"But I don't want my little brother getting kicked off!" Peiton cried as she wrapped the chain of her golden necklace around her wrist. "I love the kid to death! Which, if I keep scaring the crap out of him with those animal noises, may come too early!"

Shaya peered down at Peiton's bunk below hers and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Peiton," she said. "I know that you care deeply for your brother, I have one of my own back home. But you must understand that not both of you can make it to the end. I don't mean to bring you down, but the odds are that one of you will be voted off sooner than you think.

"Whether we'll be the one's voting you off, or Ben will be the one voted off by his teammates, I do not know. But I can assure you that it will happen."

Peiton looked sorrowfully at Shaya. "Ben and I have never spent more than a day away from each other since we were born," she whispered. "We did everything together as kids, and still spend a majority of our time with each other.

"He's like a best friend to me, and I can't bear the thought of being away from him. So I really can't believe that you just said that so easily, and I didn't even once disagree."

Shaya frowned, not thinking that her words would have affected Peiton so much.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"I really didn't mean to hurt Peiton," Shaya said.

-"Shaya didn't hurt me," Peiton reassured the camera and its many viewers. "If anything, I think she tried to spare me from hurt. But we haven't even been on this island for more than an hour, and already Ben and I have been split up! I hate it!"

* * *

"Well," Peiton sighed, rising from her bed and pulling her backpack onto her shoulders. "While I'm thinking of Ben, I should probably go give him something."

With that, Peiton said a quick goodbye to her teammates and headed out toward the Killer Bass' cabin.

**

* * *

**

Killer Bass Girls' Cabin

"Ew!" Hillary screeched. "Get that _away_ from me!"

Destiny frowned as she looked at from where Hillary stood beside her to the raggedy stuffed bear that she held in her arms. "It's only Jesse," she sniffed, clutching the black and brown plushie tightly to her heart.

"It's only _disgusting_!" Hillary groaned. "I mean, _look_ at that thing! It's got to be the most hideous thing I've ever seen."

"Thank you so very much for belittling the stuffed bear that my sister gave me when I was an _infant_! I've had this bear forever, and I love it!"

"Yeah," Hillary said. "And it totally shows! Look at how many tears and stains it has! It's probably disease ridden and carrying millions of fleas and stuff!"

"Ri-iight," Destiny said, her voice oozing sarcasm by the bucket full. "And I suppose that the huge pulsating zit in the middle of your forehead is so much better looking.

Hillary's eyes widened and she whipped out her compact mirror. She moved her hair off of her face and frantically felt her clear skin for any signs of acne. She found none.

"Very funny."

"Wasn't it?" Destiny laughed, flipping Hillary's hair lifelessly.

"I don't care how much you love that bear," Hillary said. "It's still hideous."

"Okay," Lexie cut in. "Before this gets any uglier, and Hillary is pretty hard to beat in that category…"

"Oh, bite me!"

Lexie flipped Hillary the bird, and then continued. "Destiny. Did you get a good look at the Josh guy?"

Destiny looked at Lexie, puzzlement ridden on her face. "You mean the guy who sat next to the crazy chick's brother in the photo?"

"I'm not a 'crazy chick'!" Peiton yelled from outside the cabin.

"Ignoring that," Destiny said. "You were saying?"

"Josh," Lexie repeated.

"Oh yeah. I did, why?"

"Well," Lexie blushed. "I'm not usually one to get hyped up over things like this, or gossip like a schoolgirl, but I say you talking to him earlier, and… is he single?"

Destiny's face drained of all color. "You mean you haven't even known the guy for a day and you've already got a thing for him?"

Lexie blushed again. "The kid's adorable, and seems really sweet. Plus, he's not nearly as crazy as Peiton or her brother."

"Not crazy!"

"Aw," Keala gushed, nudging up against Lexie's side. "Lexie's got a thing for crazy girls' friend!"

"Didn't I _just_ say that I'm not crazy!?"

"Yeah, yeah," Rain barked as she flipped through the pages of a Manga novel. "And I'm not here on a mission to destroy Chris!"

Peiton did not respond.

"Anyway," Lexie started up again. "Did he tell you anything?"

Destiny merely shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Lexie," she said, flipping her black hair. "Didn't say a thing."

Rain scoffed. "I find this kind of pathetic. You've only known the dude for forty-five minutes, only twenty of which were actually spent _with_ him, and you're crushing. Unbelievable."

"Fuck off, Rain," Destiny snapped. "This doesn't involve you."

Rain rolled her burning red eyes. "Whatever," and then she turned to Alex. "You're being awfully quiet. What gives?"

Alex looked toward Rain, surprised that her words didn't hold a hint of venom when directed at her. "Oh," she said. "Uh- just not in a talkative mood right now, I guess. I'm trying to find my sketchpad, so it might be a while before I start talking."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"_Sketchpad_?" Hillary asked. "Well. At least that's _one_ thing that loser and I have in common."

* * *

**Killer Bass' Boys' Cabin**

"Where is it?" Ben muttered, his voice frantic as he tore through his suitcase. "Where the hell is it?"

The five Killer Bass boys around him stared at the little display, curiosity on all of their faces.

"What's Ben looking for?" Russell asked, stepping behind Josh and nudging his back with his foot.

Ben turned to face Russell, looking a bit annoyed by the sudden interruption of his search. "I'm looking for-"

"Pchan?" Somebody finished for him.

The six Killer Bass boys turned toward their doorway to see Peiton, backpack resting casually under her arm, staring at her brother.

"Yeah," Ben answered. "How did you-"

Peiton pulled from her bag a large stuffed panda, faded with age, and tossed it to her now squealing brother.

"Pchan!" Ben shouted, hugging the bear close to him. "I thought I lost you!"

Then he turned back to Peiton and stared blankly. "Oh," he said. "Peiton, when did you get here?"

Peiton shook her head. "I can see your attention span is just as short as it was back home," she laughed. But Ben was too busy cuddling the stuffed Panda to pay attention.

"You brought a stuffed Panda with you?" Derek asked, shocked that a boy of Ben's age would still openly possess a stuffed animal.

Ben looked away from Pchan and toward Derek. "I'm sorry," he said. "What was that?"

Derek cocked an eyebrow. "I said; 'You brought a stuffed Panda with you?'"

Ben blushed. "Um. Yeah."

"Dude," Alberto said as he used the railing of his top bunk as a pull-up bar. "Aren't you even a _little_ embarrassed of that?"

Ben shook his head. "No. Should I be?"

"Well, dude. You're sixteen, and still carry around a teddy bear. That just doesn't look good."

"Oh, lay off," Peiton snapped, joining Alberto in his pull-up routine. "Our mom gave him that bear when he was born. Just like she gave me this dog necklace." She pointed to the golden Chinese charm that hung around her neck.

"Did your guys' mom die or something?" 'Christian' asked, looking up from his PSP.

"No," Peiton answered. "But our parents _are_ separated. We live with our dad."

"And what about your mom?" He asked. "How often do you see her?"

Peiton sighed deeply. "We haven't seen her since we were nine."

She let go of the bed's railing and landed lightly on the wooden floor. "But we still got each other," she said as she wrapped an arm around Ben's shoulders. "Don't we, Ben?"

Ben gave another blank look. "Huh? Oh! Yeah."

Peiton smiled. "Same as always, Ben. Same as always."

"So, shouldn't you be getting back to your cabin?" Josh asked. "I mean, we're on different teams. That couldn't look good for either of us."

"Aw!" Ben whined. "But I don't want to see Peiton go just yet. I hate to sound like a child, but we've never been split up for anything before!" He hugged his sister tightly.

"I just went through this same thing with Shaya," Peiton chuckled, patting her brother's head of spiky brown hair.

"Well," Josh continued. "You'll see each other plenty enough in the competition."

"THAT WON'T BE THE SAME!" Peiton shouted, lashing her hands out at Josh's throat.

Josh jumped back in fear, even pushing 'Eric' in front of him to prevent Peiton from getting any closer. "Okay," he said. "I'm sorry! Didn't mean to make you flip out and go all Izzy on me!"

"Oh for the love of- I'm _not_ like Izzy!"

"Nobody said you were, Peiton," Ben soothed, apparently not noticing that Josh _did_ in fact just made a comparison between the two.

"But Josh- he just- and me- and Izzy- and you- and the cow jumped over the moon!"

The others simply stared at Peiton as though she had just grown a second (maybe even a _third_) head. As Peiton continued to shout off random phrases like "Spongebob eats cactus" and "Pink dresses are made of mermaid hide", one thought ran through the Campers' heads.

'This was going to be a _long_ eight weeks.'

* * *

Okay, so this chapter lacked a little luster. But I mainly wanted to use this chapter to get further into the relationships between Jack and Jamie, Josh and Lexie, Phoebe and Ashlynn, Ben and Peiton, and Hillary and Destiny. And also, I wanted to shed a little more of the limelight onto Shaya, Rain, Alexandra, 'Christian', Lexie, Raphael, Josh, Grace, Ashlynn, Hillary, and Phoebe, who really didn't have much dialogue in the previous chapter.


	7. Treasure Seekers, Part 1

Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own Total Drama Island. If I did, you'd know. Because, quite frankly, Sadie and Noah would've made it _much_ farther if I did, and Noah and Cody would've had some *ahem* _risqué_ moments.

I also do not own the characters Alberto, Alexandra 'Alex', Alice, Ashlynn, Ben, Chris 'Christian', Destiny, Even, Grace, Jack, Jordan, Josh, Keala, Lexie, Peiton, Phoebe, Rain, Raphael, Russell, Ariane, Jasmine, Jaro, Jessica, Kimmy, Osairia, Reggie, Wolf, or Kia.

* * *

Chris smiled into the camera. "Hello," he said. "And welcome back to Total Drama Island!

"Last week you saw all twenty-four of our "lucky" Campers arrive here at Camp Wawanakwa: A crappy summer camp located in Muskoka, Ontario! You also got a chance to meet our ten Camp Counselors, and my new fiancee, Kia!"

Kia slid toward Chris and pressed herself up against him. "That would be me," she said, flashing a sickly sweet smile at the camera.

"Yep," Chris confirmed. "This is my girl! Anyway, after our Campers were split up into the Screaming Gophers and Killer Bass teams, you got a small preview of the drama sure to ensue during their stay here. And believe you me, if you thought _that_ was entertaining, you're in for an eyeful here on Total… Drama… Island!"

_

* * *

_

Catchy theme song plays… And…

"Good morning, Campers!" Chris yelled into his trademark megaphone, causing the peaceful serenity of the early morning to derail and crash. The Campers cursed him under their breath as they woke one by one from their heavy slumber, not at all looking forward to whatever Chris and that 'airhead', as Phoebe liked to call her, Kia had planned for them.

Chris merely cackled, their groans and profanities heavenly music to his ears. "Aw, come on," he teased. "That's not in the Wawanakwa spirit! Get your lazy butts outta bed, and come enjoy the fresh air, warm sun, and inedible food that Chef Hatchet has prepared for you guys!"

"I though you were gonna let Jessica help Chef with the cooking?" Even asked as he came out of the Screaming Gophers cabin, wearing nothing but a pair of black and green striped pajama bottoms. He stretched his back out of the uncomfortable position that his lumpy bed had molded into during the night, flexing his defined abdominal muscles, which in turn made Ashlynn blush as she passed him by.

Chris laughed again. "You think that Chef Hatchet would let anybody other than Norma or I into that kitchen of his? He'd sooner admit to thinking Duncan was a respectful, clean-cut guy."

"Why would he let Norma in?" Ashlynn asked. She couldn't find any good reason why the burly, fearful man that they knew as Chef Hatchet would let small, loving Norma into his own little hell. Unless, of course, she was helping him concoct something far worse than even _he_ could come up with.

"He's kinda got a little crush on her," Chris answered, expertly dodging a cleaver aimed at his head. "The big guy's got a soft spot for little old ladies. I mean, she's younger than he is, but still…"

"That seems like an even more dysfunctional couple than Courtney and Duncan," Rain said, as she too dodged a razor-sharp cleaver. "You wanna do something about me saying that, Chef Hatchet!?" She hollered. "Then _bring_ _it_!"

Chef Hatchet threw her a disgusted glance before disappearing back into the mess hall, Norma following in behind him. The Campers, and Chris, couldn't help but laugh.

"Anyway," Chris said, cutting their laughter short. "Back to what I was saying. Get your lazy butts out of bed, and head on over to the mess hall. Once you've all had breakfast, I'll explain today's challenge. Ten minutes to get ready!"

"What do you think they're gonna make us do?" Even asked, watching as Chris walked away laughing.

"Who knows?" Jamie said as he came out of the cabin to stand beside Even. "Probably something incredibly degrading, emotionally harmful, disgusting, or a mixture of the three."

"Dude, Jamie," Jack whispered. "Are you always so negative?"

Jamie opened his mouth to throw back a snappy remark, but stopped short when he saw Jack. He wore only a pair of silk, black boxers that seemed _way_ too tight. A pair of silver nipple rings gleamed radiantly, casting small rainbows onto Jamie and Ashlynns' faces. But what really made Jamie's train of sarcasm come to such a sudden halt was the tight, well defined outline of Jack's chest, which seemed to glow in the early morning sun.

"Um…" Jamie stuttered, suddenly not sure what to say. "I'm um… negative.."

Ashlynn and Even laughed loudly, and Jack blushed while Rain just rolled her eyes.

"Dude," Rain snapped. "Stop drooling over him. It's a bit creepy, seeing as you admitted to hating him yesterday."

Jamie snapped back into reality, and glared daggers at Rain. "I was _not_ drooling over him. I simply forgot what I had planned to say."

"While you were stripping him with your eyes?" She asked.

"Oh go stick your head in a batch of Chef's cooking." Jamie, too, had to dodge a cleaver thrown his way.

"Where does that dude keep getting those cleavers?" Ashlynn asked, combing her fingers through her tangled brass locks. Even, seeing how hard a time she was having, went back into his cabin and brought out a small silver brush.

"Here you are," he said.

Ashlynn took the brush into her small hands and smiled at him. "Thank you."

Even nodded. "Sure thing. But anyway, shouldn't we be getting ready for breakfast?"

"Dude," Jack said as he nudged Even playfully in the ribs. "Do you have a death wish? The more we _avoid_ Chef Hatchet's cooking, the safer we'll be."

Even laughed at Jack's little comment. "Guess you're right. But couldn't we all use something to eat if we plan on winning this thing?"

"I guess so," Jack admitted. He cringed at the thought of willingly consuming some of Chef Hatchet's food. "But maybe we could find Jessica instead?"

"I don't know dude. Jessica would need a functioning kitchen in order to cook something worth eating, and Chef Hatchet's the only one who's got that."

Rain sighed. "You guys haven't ever been to a summer camp before, have you?" She asked the four teens in front of her.

"I went once when I was younger," Jamie said, voice monotone. "It sucked."

"How about the rest of you?" She continued. "Even? Surely you've been?"

Even shook his head, 'no'. "Sorry, bra. Can't say that I have."

Rain shook her head and headed back into her cabin. She came back out a minute or so later, a small cardboard box tucked under her arm.

"What's in the box?" Ashlynn asked.

"Energy bars," Rain answered as she sliced open the package with her razor sharp nails. She pulled from within it five brightly wrapped bars and tossed one to each of them.

"You mean you brought food with you?"

Rain frowned. "Just these, and unless you want to succumb to food poisoning, I suggest you find a way to make the most of those."

"You mean you want us to live off of one energy bar for a day?" Jack asked as he stared at the skimpy bar of nuts, fruit, and grain in front of him.

"Yes," Rain answered.

Jack's gave a heavy sigh. "Are you serious?"

"Does it look like I'm joking?" She pointed to the serious look on her pasty face. There wasn't a single sign of foolishness to it.

"No," he sighed.

"Exactly. It isn't as hard as it seems. It's all about portion sizes."

"Is it even possible to divide this into portions?" Jamie asked.

"Find a way," Rain said. "And if anyone else besides you four find out about these bars, I will personally interrogate each of you until I find who spilled the beans."

"A-and what will you do then?" Ashlynn asked, hiding behind Even and Jamie.

"Do you really want to know?"

"N-n-no."

Rain smiled. "Exactly. So eat up, and pray to God that Chef Hatchet doesn't say anything when you don't eat his food."

* * *

The twenty-two Campers stood impatiently in line as they waited for their individual bowl of slop. They trembled (except for Rain, Jamie, and Phoebe) under Chef Hatchet's terrifying gaze, and tried to hide behind their rusted trays.

"Listen up, Soldiers!" He shouted, slamming his greased ladle onto the counter. "The story is the same as last year! You'll come in hear ev'ry morning, get the food, 'n get gone! Do you understand me!?"

"That's a great idea," Jamie said. "Except for there isn't anything you serve that could be classified as _food_."

"What was that, Soldier!?" Chef Hatchet yelled. "I'm sure I didn't hear you correctly."

"Oh, I think you did. But just in case I'm wrong, and you weren't able to understand those simple third grade terms, let me rephrase: 'You no serve food. You serve death.'"

Chef Hatchet panted heavily and ushered Jamie closer to him. "Come closer, boy."

"I'm perfectly happy standing here, thank you very much."

"I said _now_, Soldier!"

"And _I_ said, I'm perfectly happy standing where I am."

Chef Hatchet jumped right over the counter and stalked over toward Jamie stood. He picked him up by the hood of his blue and black jacket and held him at eye level.

"You do not want to test me boy. I have ways of making your stay here at this fine establishment miserable."

"So, basically you're just going to continue serving us this slop?" Phoebe asked as she stirred the pot, of what she assumed was oatmeal, resting on the stove.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Chef Hatchet twisted his hat angrily in his hands, the vein in his neck jutting out as he took heavy breaths. "Those two, are at the top of my list right now. Them, and those three Noah, Duncan, and Heather from Season 1."

* * *

Chef threw Jamie to the ground and turned toward Phoebe. He took a sharp knife from his apron pocket and held it dangerously close to her throat.

"You watch it little Missy," he hissed.

Phoebe smirked and pointed behind Chef Hatchet. "I'm sure my lawyer, who I strictly told to watch ever episode this season, will absolutely _love_ watching that."

Chef turned to stare into the camera's eye and smiled sheepishly. "Hello there," he wheezed. "Um… there's no need to take legal action, is there?"

Phoebe's cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and checked the Caller I.D., her face splitting into a wide smile.

"Wow," she said. "I guess he really listened to me."

She flipped open the phone. "Hey, Jim," she greeted. She paused as she listened to him speak. "Yeah. Uh-huh. He's right here."

She looked up at Chef Hatchet. "He wants to talk to you."

Chef Hatchet sighed as he took the phone into his abnormally large hand. With a quick mutter of "I don't get paid enough for this", he headed back into the sanctuary of his kitchen.

"Okay, Campers," Chris said as he suddenly appeared beside the cameraman. "Since Chef's a little busy talking to Phoebe's lawyer, I guess there won't be any breakfast today."

The Campers cheered.

"So, I guess we can just skip to the challenge, right?"

"Sounds good," Shaya agreed.

"Thank you, Shaya," Chris thanked. "Now, just grab a seat at either one of the tables. You don't have to sit with your teams today."

The twenty-two teens walked to either table, and sat down on the wooden stumps. They grimaced at the uncomfortable hardness of the seats, but did their best to push the thought aside as they listened to Chris.

"Okay," Chris began. "So if you'll all think back to those charming little congratulatory letters you received telling you that you'd been accepted as a participant, you will recall being asked to bring your most treasured possessions with you."

"Speaking of which," Raphael cut in with a surprising verbal way of communication. "Where is my clipboard?"

"Your most valued possession is you clipboard?" Jack asked him.

Raphael, not feeling comfortable in speaking again, only nodded.

"I was just getting to that, Raphael," Chris said. "Anyway, you all brought them, but did any of you bother to think just _why_ you were asked to?"

"No," Alice said. "Not really."

Chris laughed. "Well, you see… Those treasured possessions of your play an important part in today's challenge."

"And just what might that be?" Lexie asked.

"A treasure hunt to locate your personal item," Chris answered.

The Campers looked at Chris wide-eyed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Phoebe asked as she grit her teeth together.

"You see," Chris said started again. "While you guys were in here, the Counselors and I snuck into your cabins and took your little treasures…"

"You did _what_!?" Phoebe and Raphael shouted.

"You touched my mother's surfboard!?" Phoebe yelled.

"And my clipboard?" Raphael shouted.

"Yes and yes," Chris said. "We took them and have concealed them away somewhere."

"How on earth did you manage to find _and _hide all twenty-two of our items in only ten minutes?" Jamie asked.

"With the leftover money to promote this season, we were able to buy some new equipment. We got new cameras, paid off the medical charges the surviving interns gave us from last season, and bought a sick new jeep that reaches _wicked_ speeds!"

"You couldn't have done something more productive?" Shaya asked. "Like fund a charity or promote research?"

"Charities and research facilities?" Chris asked. "Why don't you just ask me to saw my own leg off?

"Anyway, yes. We hid those possessions, and your goal is to complete the necessary nine missions in order to find them. Don't worry; we're going to give you clues as to what you need to do."

"How _dare_ you touch my mother's surfboard!?" Phoebe asked as she lunged out at Chris, only to be stopped by Alberto and Even. "Let me at him! I'll kill him!"

Chris just laughed at the raging girl before him. "I really don't think that I could have asked for a better job than this. But, moving along, I want you to come up here when I call your name. I will then hand you an envelope and backpack full of identical supplies that you can use to help get your treasure.

"Alberto… Even… Ashlynn… Shaya… 'Christian'… Ben… Peiton… Jamie… Jack… Raphael… Alice… Jordan… Rain… Phoebe…"

"You're dead!"

"…Grace… Russell… Lexie… Josh… Mitch… Alex… Derek… Destiny… Hillary… and Keala."

The teens gathered the given supplies.

"Now," Chris said. "You have an hour to find your possessions. The team with the most possessions found wins. _Also_, whatever items aren't found, won't be returned until the end of your stay here at Camp Wawanakwa."

"You'd better pray that I find my mother's surfboard, Chris!" Phoebe yelled. "Or I will personally wring your neck!"

"And that's why I have Chef Hatchet," he smirked.

**

* * *

**

The Killer Bass

"So should we open our envelopes or what?" Alex asked, not really wanting to make a move without the consent of her teammates.

"Probably the best choice," 'Christian' answered, tearing open his yellow envelope. The rest of the Killer Bass followed suit, and each of them pulled out a small piece of folded green paper.

"What is this?" Derek asked as he unfolded the small square.

Destiny read her paper out loud. "The first task you must complete in order to find your treasure: Find me. You can tell secrets to me, and in turn, tell others at the same time."

Keala scratched her head. "A riddle?" She asked.

"Obviously," Rain said.

"The confessional?" 'Christian' guessed, and all the Bass looked at him. "Well you can tell the confessional cam your secret feelings, and at the same time, you're telling the audience back home. Seemed to make sense to me?"

"I think he may be right," Alex agreed, thumping him harshly on the back and knocking him to the ground. "Sorry, 'Christian'."

Chris brushed the dirt off the front of his shirt as he stood up. "It's fine," he sighed.

"So, I guess we go to the Confessional?" Keala asked, tucking her envelope inside of her red leather jacket.

"Of course!" Hillary snapped, flipping her hair in Keala's unsuspecting face. "Now follow me!"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Rain crossed her arms and stared harshly at the camera. "Okay," she said. "While my sole purpose is to make sure Chris goes down, I can make sure the same happens for Hillary, right?"

* * *

"Okay," Hillary said as she tapped lightly on the Confessional Stall's door. "We're here at the Confessional. Now what do we do?"

"Aren't we supposed to follow you? Not the other way around?" 'Christian' asked.

Hillary sneered at him. "Shut it, weird Goth girl."

'Christian' arched an eyebrow. "First off," he said. "I'm _male_. Therefore, I can't be a weird Goth _girl_. Secondly, I'm not Goth in the slightest, nor do I ever plan to be. Third, you're not Heather."

"Whatever," Hillary scoffed. "Guessing games aren't my thing."

"Well unless you wanna lose us this challenge and get your butt voted off this island first, you'd best help us figure this out," Lexie said.

"Oh, puh-_lease_," Hillary said. "Do you really think that you'll be able to win any of these challenges without me? I can play those stupid Gophers like violins."

"Oh really?" Lexie asked.

"Really."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"That Hillary creases me," Lexie said to the camera. "If she thinks she can come here and act better than everyone else, and get away with it, that little spoiled daddy's girl's got another thing comin'."

-"Lexie doesn't scare me," Hillary laughed as she swiped a brush coated in dark blue paint over the fingernail of her smallest finger. "In fact, I don't think that she'll be around long. My guess is that she's one of the first ten Campers eliminated."

-'Christian stared deep into the camera's eye and shook his head. "Any of you viewers noticing how stereotypical everyone here is? Hillary's the new Heather, Lexie's the new Leshawna. Jamie's the new Noah/Courtney combo; Ashlynn and Even are the new Bridgette and Geoff. Peiton's the new Izzy and Destiny's the new Duncan except for in girl form. There's obviously more examples if you've been playing close attention."

* * *

"Don't you guys think we should open the door?" Ben asked from behind the argumentative pair.

"Oh, zip it, you little nerdling," Hillary said.

Ben frowned. " 'Nerdling?'" he asked, using air quotes for emphasis.

"Yes, _nerdling_."

Lexie rolled her chocolate brown eyes. "Girl, just open the damn door before I go Tom Cruise on you."

Hillary pushed open the door to the Confessional stall and peered in. The Killer Bass nearly vomited at the horrid scent that hit them square in the nose. It smelled as though a collection of road kill had been stored inside, and concealed a heavy coat of Chef Hatchet's inedible food.

"Ugh!" 'Christian' groaned. "What is that God awful stench?"

"Well it definitely ain't roses," Derek said through a plugged nose.

A miniature television screen descended from the Confessional's roof, static crackling merrily as the pixels on screen slowly started to fade in.

"Hello, Destiny," a recording of Chris smiled.

Destiny frowned in confusion. "Um…"

"Welcome to the first of your nine challenges. By now I'm sure you realize that you are competing to find your beloved teddy bear."

Destiny went wide-eyed and blushed. "What did he just say?"

"Yeah," said the recording. "We took the little guy, and now ya gotta get him back. On a side note, dudette, if your teammates are still here listening to this, they may wanna run off to find their own objects instead. After all, your task is only a one-person job."

Destiny looked at her teammates. "Um," she said. "Y-you guys heard him. Go find your stuff, I'll get my.. teddy back on my own."

"Your treasured item is that stupid _teddy_ _bear?_" Hillary scoffed.

Destiny blushed. "It's not funny. It has sentimental value!"

"Oh, I'm sure it does," Hillary laughed. "Boogers from the diaper days, traces of spit from when you were teething… who knows? Maybe there's even lipstick markings from when you took him to homecoming!"

"Hillary!" Lexie shouted. "You had best step off of Destiny and go find your own item."

Hillary sniffed and stabbed a sharp, neon pink nail into Lexie's shoulder. "Listen to me, Lexie," she whispered. "I just want to get this out of the way, now. You do _not_ scare me. If you think that any of you can intimidate me, you've got another thing coming. I came to win this show, and the 1,000,000 dollars!"

"And you think that we won't be smart enough to vote you off first?" Derek asked. "We're not like the contestants from last season. We won't keep you on like they kept Heather."

"Ah, but Heather was sloppy. She took too many risks. She went out of her way to cause trouble even when she didn't have an opportunity for invincibility. True, she may have made it to the final three anyway, but she left a tattered trail in her wake.

"She thought that she could win this competition with only dirty tricks, and not have to cover her secrets. She left her fate entirely with the chance of invincibility, and the stupidity of her teammates. I'll make _sure_ to win any chances of invincibility thrown my way, whether we win or lose a challenge.

"In a nutshell: you had all better choose the next best choice for elimination, because I won't be going home."

The Killer Bass stood red-faced and fuming; eyes narrowed and pulse racing.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Lexie shook in fury as she stared head-on into the camera. "I don't care what that no good, pampered…"

-"…spoiled," Rain said.

-"…bitchy," Derek cut in.

-"…bratty," said Alex.

-"…pampered," Destiny said.

-"…back stabbing," 'Christian' said.

-"…Daddy's girl says," Ben finished.

-Lexie glared into the camera. "The first challenge we lose, Hillary's butt is off this island!"

-Hillary smiled. "They think I'll be leaving? Oh how wrong they are. Like I said before, I came to win."

* * *

**The Screaming Gophers**

"So what does yours say?" Jack asked Jamie as he pried the brown envelope open.

Jamie glared at the emo-dressed Gopher boy. "Why do you insist on talking to me?" he asked. "You know I'll only respond with a snappy remark."

Jack began to form a response, only to be cut off by Even. "You know what, Jamie?" Even asked. "I don't understand why you're being such an ass to Jack. In the one day you've known him he hasn't done anything to you, and you still treat him like shit!"

"Excuse me, Even," Jamie said, his voice calm and quiet. "I don't know what gives you the idea that I have to like Jack."

Jack looked sullenly at the ground.

"But you have no reason _not_ to like him," Even countered.

Jamie rolled his chocolate eyes toward the sky. "I'm sure that there's been at least one person in your life that you've disliked before without really knowing them. I just don't like Jack. And while I realize that the reference I'm about to make isn't the best, it's like how Courtney was with Duncan from Season 1.

"Jack is just the total opposite of me, and I don't like that."

"Haven't you heard that saying that opposites attract?" Even asked.

"That may apply in the world of science, but I have yet to find any proof that it applies to one's love life. And I'm sure that you're _not_ trying to insinuate that I harbor romantic feelings for Jack, are you?"

Even smirked. "Of course not, Jamie." He leaned in close to Jamie and whispered. "But it's rather obvious that you do."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"Ugh!" Jamie growled. "I can't stand those two! And _no_, I don't like Jack!"

* * *

"Moving back to the challenge," Jamie said.

"Nice subject change," Even teased.

"My clue says: 'Blond, tan, and beautiful. Find me for your first task.'"

"A person, obviously," Phoebe said over Jamie's shoulder.

"Thank you ever so much for pointing out such an obvious fact."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"Okay," Phoebe said. "I can't even believe I'm saying this, but I have to agree with Even that Jamie's an ass. I'm not even that bad."

* * *

"Watch it short stuff," Phoebe hissed, wrapping an arm around Jamie's front and lifting him off the ground. "You're the smallest person on this team, which means I can easily cause you some bodily harm if you get on my bad side."

"Oh, please," Jamie said. "I'm sure whatever it is you have in mind for 'bodily harm' isn't all that menacing. Perhaps you plan on giving me a cut lip or some scratches with those 99-cent nails of yours? Either way, honey, the though ain't all that frightening."

Phoebe's grip on Jamie tightened and she stalked off toward the Dock of Shame with him tucked away under her arm.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm teaching you not to get on my bad side," Phoebe replied as she threw Jamie over the edge of the dock and into the lake.

* * *

Reviews? I know this chapter sucked, but I don't know. Sonowa, lmc3200, and HowlingWulf, I may be messaging you later on.


	8. Treasure Seekers, Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island, nor do I own blah, blah, blah… Really, if you want the full disclaimer on how I only own the plot and like, six of these characters, read the previous chapters…

* * *

**Screaming Gophers**

Jamie sputtered as he surfaced from under the water, soaked and looking much like a drowned rat. "Ugh!" He screamed. "Phoebe, what the hell!?"

Phoebe looked smugly at her wet teammate. "That little cool down ought'a knock you down a few notches, eh?" She laughed, and Even laughed along.

Jamie glared at the pixie-haired girl and blissfully blond boy before him and doggy-paddled to the dock's edge. He gripped the end with his tiny fingers and tried to pull himself up, but the water that had absorbed into his sleeves trickled down his arms and pooled beneath his fingertips, making his grip on the eroded wood slippery. He fell back into the water, and Even and Phoebe laughed even harder.

Jack sandwiched his way in between Phoebe and Even and extended his hand out toward Jamie. "Hey," he said. "You want some help?"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Jamie wrung his jacket out over the floor of the confessional and then wrapped it around his shoulders. "Okay, why does Jack insist on socializing with me? Really? Am I not making it clear enough that I _don't_ want his friendship or assistance or anything else? God!"

* * *

"For the umpteenth time, I do not want your pity, nor do I want to socialize with you. I do not need your assistance in getting out of the water, and I wouldn't take it even if I did. So please, stop trying to win me over; _I don't like you!_" Jamie yelled, putting an obvious emphasis on the final part.

A silence draped itself over the four Gophers that shattered as Jack kicked Jamie's shoulder and sent him flailing back into the water. The emo Gopher walked rapidly back toward his cabin and crashed through the decrepit screen door, which he slammed harshly behind him.

"Dude!" Even yelled after Jack, and ran after him.

Jamie finally managed to pull himself back over the edge of the dock, and immediately crashed onto the ground. Phoebe stalked toward him and jabbed him hard in the side with her fingers.

"What the hell do you want now?" He asked.

Phoebe gnashed her teeth at him and whispered harshly; "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you had better pray that we don't lose this challenge. Otherwise, you know as well as I do, that your sorry ass will be off this island!"

She then slammed her fist onto the ground next to Jamie harsher than necessary, and crashed a hole through the bottom. Then, she stalked off fuming, her envelope crushed tightly in her hand.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Jamie shook his head. "God, I can't stand them!"

* * *

Destiny

"So," the recording of Chris laughed. "I'm assuming that by now, your teammates have left. Awesome, since they really need to find their items if they plan on winning this challenge. Anyway, Destiny, if you've used the Confessional before, you'll know that it doesn't normally smell this horrid.

"Well, that smell is a part of your challenge."

"What?" Destiny asked to the air, not really fond of the idea that she may need to endure that putrid smell for too long.

"Now, while this challenge may not be the most hygienic or pleasant, it _is_ the easiest task that you'll have to accomplish."

"Wonderful."

"Now, somewhere in the Confessional toilet, there is another envelope, which has been concealed in a Zip-loc bag to ensure its protection. You simply have to sift through the fifteen pounds of garbage, waste, and Chef Hatchet's food until you find it. Pretty easy, right?"

"Wrong," Destiny responded.

"No?" Asked the recording. "Too bad, because unless you want to see your teddy again, you'll need to do it. Remember; one hour!"

The recording cut to a stream of static before the screen ascended back to the Confessional's roof. Destiny eyed the toilet of the Confessional stall, which had an army of flies swarming about its rim and visible fumes rising from the bowl.

"Ugh," Destiny gagged, clapping a hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep the vomit rising up her throat. Ultimately, she failed, and a wave of green-brown chunks rushed from her mouth and splattered onto the unsuspecting grass.

"Oh, I can't do this," she groaned.

She plugged her nose with her left hand, and with her right, sifted through the waste in the toilet bowl.

**

* * *

**

Russell

"Hey, Russell!" Russell turned toward his right and saw Grace waving at him from a short distance away, her brown envelope held loosely in her small hand.

"Hello," Russell smiled as Grace walked toward him. "How is Grace doing with the challenge?"

Grace rolled her eyes as Russell continued to speak in the third person. "I'm still trying to figure out just what the hell my clue means."

Russell flashed a pearly smile at Grace and scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Well maybe Russell could help Grace with her clues? And in return, maybe Grace could help Russell with his? That way both Russell _and_ Grace will find their items."

"Well that sounds nice," Grace agreed. "But my clue is pretty confusing. It says find me: I am hidden in the middle of a green labyrinth. I house large brown beasts, and strike fear into the hearts of many."

Russell thought this over a moment, and then said, "Russell thinks it may be the cave, perhaps?"

Grace looked at Russell, her brown eyes glowing with curiosity.

"Well, Russell thinks it fits. The cave is in the middle of the green woods, is home to the Wawanakwa Bears, and has an eerie exterior."

Grace hopped and wrapped her arms around Russell's neck, squealing as placed a chaste kiss on his hard jaw. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She thanked.

"Russell would do anything to help Grace," Russell assured her, snaking his arm around Grace's small back, keeping her pressed against him.

"Oh, thank you, Russell! Now the problem is getting to the cave in time. I have no idea where in the forest it is, and we only have 45 more minutes to complete the tasks."

"Well, Russell's sure he'll be able to get his tasks completed before then. So how about he helps Grace find the cave in the mean time? Russell feels that Grace should know that he has a great sense of direction."

Grace smiled at the giant. "Yeah, that sounds like a good deal. Lead the way."

Russell returned Grace's smile with one of his own. "It would be my pleasure," he said, not noticing that he didn't speak in the third person point of view.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"Okay," Grace confessed. "So I knew what my clue was, and I knew where the cave was. But how could I be sure that Russell or I weren't getting voted out tonight? It'd be great to get to know him a bit more, and I'm not risking losing that chance. Plus, I want to see if I can break his habit of talking in the third person."

* * *

"Okay," Grace agreed. "Let's get going."

"Russell agrees," Russell said, picking Grace up bridal style and running deep into the Wawanakwa Woods.

**

* * *

**

Jamie

Jamie shivered under his sopping wet clothes, and wrapped his arms around himself in a pathetic attempt to shield off the small breeze passing his way.

"I h-h-hate that Ph-ph-ph-phoebe," he chattered through his teeth. He unfolded his paper again and read it over once more.

'Blond, tan, and beautiful'. How was it that he was still having a hard time getting to the bottom of such a simple clue? The only blond Campers were Alice, Keala, Even and Hillary, and while he may have admitted to thinking that they were rather attractive, none of them, he found, were tan.

"Oh, sc-scr-screw it. I'm sure w-wh-whatever I p-p-put down as m-my most v-v-v-valued it-t-tem couldn't be worth this sh-shit!" He shouted as he tried to recall just what it was he put down as his valued item.

He shivered again as he stomped in the direction of the Mess Hall. Hell, he figured his other teammates would be smart enough to find their items, which meant he wouldn't have to worry about elimination tonight.

"Oh, hey, Jamie," Jamie heard as he walked through the Mess Hall's wooden entrance. He looked over to the table that sat the Killer Bass and saw Jasmine typing away on her slick, blue laptop.

"H-hey, J-jasmin-ne," Jamie greeted as he took a spot beside the blond beauty. "Wha-wha-what are you up t-t-to?"

Jasmine arched a pencil thin eyebrow at the shaking boy. "Um, isn't that why you're here?" She asked him.

Jamie met her look of curiosity with one of his own. "What d-d-do you m-mean?"

"You mean you didn't figure out your clue?" She asked as she dangled her golden blond hair in front of Jamie's face.

Jamie shot up in his seat and slapped his paper down on the wooden tabletop. 'Blond, tan, and beautiful,' he read again. His eyes went wide behind his thick glasses as he looked at the caramel shade of Jasmine's skin, no doubt a result from tanning on the Dock of Shame like she'd said when she introduced herself.

"Oh g-goddamn I'm an id-d-diot!" Jamie cursed, slamming his head hard on the tabletop.

Jasmine laughed and gave Jamie a light thump on the back. "Oh, don't get so upset over it. The point is, you understand the clue now."

"Y-yeah," Jamie spat. "After you ga-gave m-me the ans-s-swer."

Jasmine laughed and turned back to her computer. She dragged her thin finger over the sensor pad, and double clicked on a desktop file. The file opened onto the computer screen, and Jasmine turned the laptop over to Jamie.

"What is it?" He asked, placing his blue fingers on the laptop's home keys.

"Shh," Jasmine laughed. "Just watch."

A round of static showed on the screen before it cleared and showed Chris' evil grinning face. "Hey, Jamie," he said, his voice tinged with a sinister laugh. "Welcome to your first task…"

**

* * *

**

'Christian'

"Hmm," 'Christian' mumbled as he looked over his clue, a look of pure puzzlement plastered on his thin face. 'Find me: Woof-woof. Red eyes, black coat with silver trim.'

"Woof-woof?" 'Christian' asked the air. "A dog? But what kind of dog has red eyes and silver fur? Are there even any dogs on this island?"

The air, however, being inanimate, was unable to answer the poor boy's question, and so he was left to ponder his clue. "Okay, so maybe not a _dog_, per se, maybe something in the canine family?"

Again, the wind did not respond. "Let's see," he muttered. "Aside from the actual housedog, there are coyotes, foxes, dholes, jackals…" he trailed off. "What else is there?"

"Dude!"

'Christian' turned to look behind himself, assuming that whoever it was shouting was calling him since there was nobody else around. It was Jaro, the Counselor for the Screaming Gophers. He was caked in a heavy layer of sweat from what 'Christian' could see, and his clothes were mud-stained and tattered.

"Jaro? What the hell do you want?" 'Christian asked, coming off a bit harsher than he'd intended. However, he couldn't help but wonder what a Counselor of the opposing team could want with him.

"Sorry, dude," Jaro panted as he stopped a few feet in front of the boy. "I was just wondering; have you seen any interns walking around here? More specifically, one with a large, wooden crate?"

'Christian' shook his head. "No, I can't say I have. Well, I could, but I'd be lying."

Jaro sighed and stamped his foot on the dried grass. "I knew I shouldn't have left Wolf in charge of that guy!"

'Christian' looked at Jaro, his interest peaked and his eyes aglow. "Who?" He asked, lightly brushing his littlest finger over his clue.

"Wolf," Jaro repeated. "You know, my bro?"

"Wolf!" 'Christian' shouted. "That's it! That's the answer to my clue! I'm supposed to find Wolf!"

Jaro threw 'Christian' a confused look. "Uh… If you're looking for Wolf, he's probably over at the amphitheater with Daniel. The little dude said he need Wolf's help with some friggin' fruity dance routine or something."

"Oh, God, thank you, Jaro!" 'Christian' yelled as he ran in the direction of the amphitheater. "And if I see any interns with wooden crates, I'll be sure to let you know!"

"Much appreciated, little dude!"

**

* * *

**

Keala

Keala ran rapidly in the direction of the boathouse with her clue tucked away in her red gloves and her honey hair whipping in the wind behind her. Her stiletto heels hooked defiantly on the bits of dead grass and small rocks, and her faux leather jacket circled wildly in the wind as they tried to slow Keala down in her quest for her beloved sketchpad.

The heel of her right stiletto snapped in two, and she went tumbling to the ground in a flailing mess of limbs and leather. "Oh, goddamn it, Chris!" She hollered, grabbing her ankle, which had already started to turn gaudy shades of dull yellow and lavender.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Keala sat still in her black wheelchair. She twiddled her hands in her lap, and looked sheepishly at the camera. "Okay, maybe I'm a bit klutzy! Sue me!"

Keala groaned from her spot on the ground. "When I next see Chris," she hissed. "I am going to wring his neck around like the damn Exorcist!"

She stood up again and staggered off to the boathouse, dragging her painfully numb leg behind her.

"Ariane!" Keala hollered once she was only a small distance away from the boathouse.

Ariane sure enough was lounging on a foldout beach chair, a sun hat draped casually over her face to shield out UV rays. Though Keala knew, it was a futile attempt. "Ariane!"

The tanned girl stirred from her peaceful sleep and turned to Keala, her eyes still half-lidded and bloodshot.

"Mom?" Ariane asked, obviously still in a dream state.

"No," Keala sighed, taking the small water bottle that Ariane had tucked away under her chair. "It's Keala." And she dumped a small amount of the liquid.

Ariane frowned at her newfound wetness, and pulled from beside herself a bright yellow towel. "Oh," she said as she wiped herself off. "That's right. I'm supposed to be waiting here for you, huh?"

Keala slapped a hand to her head and sighed. "I'm assuming so, since my clue pointed me in the general direction of this boathouse."

"Hey, hey, hey," Ariane moaned. She rolled sluggishly off the chair and stumbled toward Keala much like a drunk would on a DUI test. "I'm still in sleep mode. One syllable words, por favor."

"Whatever. Just please help me with this? I can't be kept away from my sketchpad!"

"Okay, okay! Stop your nagging and I'll tell you what you need to do."

Keala nodded and gestured for Ariane to proceed.

"Okay, are you ready?"

"Born ready, Ariane," Keala said, trying her best not to tell her to hurry the hell up.

"Okay. You have to catch one of these Camp Wawanakwa fish."

Keala stared at Ariane, and gave her an '_are you serious'_ type of look. "That's all I have to do? We're right next to the boathouse! Might as well just give the fish directly to me."

"Ah, but Chris of course came up with a catch," Ariane reassured. "You have to use only your hands to catch one of them slippery bastards."

Keala frowned. "Please tell me that you're joking."

Ariane shook her head. "Sorry, K. Them's the breaks. Now hop in the water and catch yourself a nice little fishy. I'd be quick in doing it, though, since you've got less than an hour left to complete the other eight tasks."

**

* * *

**

Destiny

"Ah-ha!" Destiny cried. She pulled her arm out from the dreaded toilet bowl and held up in the air a taped brown envelope concealed in a small Zip-loc bag. She tore the bag and envelope open in a flash, and then dumped the contents out onto the grass before her.

"What the hell?" she asked as she picked up a large, wood carved 'N' that had fallen alongside a second sheet of green paper. Setting the 'N' aside, Destiny then unfolded the second sheet of paper and read it aloud.

"Meet by the cliff." Destiny looked at it, not fully understanding. "That's it? There's no vague clue? Surely Chris wouldn't just give me the answer!"

But Destiny saw nothing else, just the simple four-lettered sentence printed in front of her.

"Well alright," she shrugged, tucking the paper in her jeans' back pocket and shoving the 'N' inside of her backpack. "To the cliff I shall go."

Destiny arrived at the cliff five minutes later, eyeing her surroundings carefully, seeing nothing but the cliff itself. "Hello?" She called, walking toward the base of the cliff and leaning against it. "Hello?"

"Destiny!"

Destiny looked around for the source of her name, not finding anything but a small rabbit that was hopping merrily past her. "Okay, I know that that rabbit wasn't talking to me. Right?"

"Not the rabbit!" The mystery voice came again. "Look up!"

Destiny looked above her to the pinnacle of the cliff only to see Chris grinning down at her, a wooden 'K' dangling in his hand next to a third piece of folded paper.

"Why the hell are you all the way up there!? Shouldn't you be down here helping me with the task?"

Chris laughed and flipped his hair. "Are you kidding? I get a kick out of watching you guys squirm; I'm not gonna make these challenges any easier for you!"

Destiny flipped him the bird. "Well if you're not gonna help, could you at least tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do?"

"Dudette, did you even bother looking through the backpack?" Chris asked.

Destiny shook her head. "No. I didn't need anything for the first task except for my own two hands, which by the way, now stink of death thanks to you and that airhead fiancée of yours!"

"Hey! Don't be dissing Kia just because you're jealous!"

"_Jealous?!_" Destiny scoffed. "Jealous of what? Jealous that she's getting married to an egomaniacal incarnation of the Devil himself? I'd sooner gouge my own eyes out before I'd be jealous of her!"

"I'll keep that in mind. And by the way, there was a pair of plastic tongs in that bag that you could've used for sifting through that waste!"

Destiny cursed under her breath. "Moving along! What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Chris shook his head in disappointment. "I thought that surely a girl as smart as you would figure it out as soon as you saw me up here; you need to climb the cliff and claim the 'K' and the next paper!"

Destiny stood open-mouthed and bug-eyed. "Are you high?!" She accused.

"Yeah," Chris answered. "I'm about 1,000 feet in the air. I'd say that's pretty darn high!"

"I ain't climbing that cliff! I'd like to live to see tomorrow!"

A chuckled escaped Chris' lips. "Well unless you don't want to see Jesse again, I suggest you get your butt up here!"

Destiny picked up a nearby rock and pulled back her arm. With surprising strength, she shot the rock up to where Chris sat perched on the cliff, knocking the 'K' and paper out of his hands and sending them plummeting to the ground.

"Dude!"

Destiny caught the falling objects in her right hand and cackled. "It's been a pleasure doing business with ya, Chris, but I really gotta go!"

"Hey!" Chris hollered as Destiny ran back toward the campgrounds. "That's cheating! Get back here!"

**

* * *

**

Alex

"Okay, so how the hell am I supposed to get out of this?" Alex asked as she dangled upside down from a tree branch; a braided rope was bound tightly around her jean-clad legs. Kimmy laughed from her solid spot on the ground and untangled Alex.

"I'm guessing you've never climbed a tree before?"

Alex hopped down onto the ground. "Oh, I've climbed _plenty_ of trees before," she said matter-of-factly as she started her way up the tree again. "Just when they were bare and had less things to get stuck on. Like… leaves."

"Wow," Kimmy said. "I'm taking it you're kinda a tomboy?"

Alex shrugged. "I guess you could call me that. I prefer to say I'm just not the stereotypical girl that's always like 'Oh em gee, Stacey! Did you see that new boy? Isn't he just _gorgeous?!_'"

This drew another laugh from the Gopher Counselor. "I could help if you want." She started up the tree after Alex, only stopping when Alex shooed her away.

"Ah-ah-ah. This here is my challenge. I plan on doing it myself." She narrowed her eyes jokingly. "And I certainly do not plan on associating with my rivals!"

Kimmy played along with Alex, grabbing hold of a broken tree branch and waving it menacingly in front of Alex's face. "Then bring it on, Fishy!"

"How dare you, you… you… you insolent Rodent!"

"_Rodent?!_" Kimmy gasped. "Oh now, see here, Alex. You have just crossed the line!"

The two girls began a chase up the tree, their laughter competing with the volume of rustling leaves and snapping branches. "You shall never catch me!" Alex hollered, and she then fell through a gap in the branches and plummeted to the ground below, knocking a small bird's nest to the ground with her.

Kimmy shrieked. "Oh crap! Alex, I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

"I fink I phound wut I vuz luuking f'r," Alex groaned through a mouthful of dirt.

Kimmy, needless to say, did not understand her. "What?"

Alex sat up and spit a large clump of dirt out of her mouth, and then reached behind her and held out a wooden 'A'. "I think I found what I was looking for," she repeated.

Kimmy smiled and gave Alex a double thumbs up. "Nice."

Alex bowed toward her one member audience. "Thank you, thank you."

Kimmy laughed again. "Well, you should probably get outta here. The hour's almost up, and you still have five challenges to complete." (A/N: for lack of creativity, let's just say that Alex already completed three other challenges.)

Alex checked the time remaining on her jade green wristwatch and sucked in a mouthful of air. "Holy crap!" She stumbled to her feet and quickly scooped her backpack, 'A', and fourth piece of folded paper into her arms. "I'm sorry Kimmy, but I gotta go!"

And she ran toward the campgrounds.

**

* * *

**

Jack

Jack still sat on his bed, his knees drawn to his chest and his chin resting on top of them. His eyes, though he would deny it, were bloodshot from crying, and his hair was even more disturbed than usual from the multiple times he had angrily torn his fingers through it in the last thirty minutes.

"Jack," Even soothed, thumping him lightly on the back. "Dude, it's not the end of the world."

"But why does he hate me so much?" Jack asked, looking Even directly in the eyes.

Even shrugged his shoulders. "He's just an ass, man. He isn't worth all this anger."

"But there's got to me more of a reason than that! He shouldn't just be able to hate me without having a reason for it!"

"I completely agree," Even said. "But as I said, he's not worth you getting so upset. And while I understand that you're upset with him, we need to get going to find our things before the time runs out."

Jack shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't intend on leaving until I figure out why the hell Jamie hates me so much. I have to figure it out."

"Jack," Even insisted.

"Even, I'm sorry, but please just let me stay here."

Jack was begging him now, Even noted. He was totally and surely _begging_ him to leave him alone. But still, Even couldn't bring himself to obey Jack's wishes.

"I'm sorry, dude, but you're coming with me whether you want to or not."

He grabbed Jack around his stomach and then tossed him over his shoulder. Though the emo-dressed Gopher flailed and begged to be put down, Even kept a firm grip and headed out of the cabin.

**

* * *

**

Keala

Keala yelped as she slipped and fell on her butt, shattering the unmoving surface of the water and causing ripples to dance about her. She growled as she saw a small gray fish swim underneath her legs and out through the other side, as though it were trying to prove itself better than her.

"Ariane!" She screamed as she tried to stand up again. Ariane peered over the side of the dock, her copper toned hair obscuring her face from Keala's view.

"Yeah?" Ariane asked.

Keala groaned. "Do you think that you could possibly help me?"

"I _could_," Ariane admitted. "But Chris gave the Counselors strict instructions to not help the Campers with their challenges. They have to complete the tasks all on their own."

"How the hell am I supposed to catch a fish? They're too damn fast and slippery, and I keep losing my balance."

Ariane shrugged. "How should I know? I'm just supposed to tell you what to do, not help you accomplish it."

"Yes," Keala sighed. "We've already established that."

Ariane said nothing, but instead took to staring at Keala's leather jacket. "What are you staring at?"

"Hmmm," Ariane hummed. "You think maybe you could use that jacket?"

Keala threw Ariane a strange look. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You know, maybe use the jacket as a makeshift fishing net? That ought'a help you catch one."

Keala's jaw fell open and she hurriedly shrugged herself out of her jacket. "I don't know why I didn't think of that before!"

She held the jacket loosely by the sleeves and scanned the area around her feet for any fish. She spotted a small group, maybe four or five, and scooped at them with her jacket. Two fish acted quickly enough and swam away in time; the same could not be said for the other three.

"Yes!" Keala cheered. She lifted her now damp jacket above her head and tossed it to Ariane. Water splashed over the Counselor, and one of the more daring fish managed to find itself a comfortable little spot inside Ariane's shirt.

Ariane screamed as she tried to get the scaly critter off her chest, accidentally kicking a small, wooden 'W' that rested on the dock nearby. The 'W' soared through the air and hit Keala right in the temple, causing her to fall once again into the water.

"Ow," she moaned.

**

* * *

**

Ben

Ben lay his seven wooden letters out on the ground before him, and looked them over curiously. Three A's, three W's, and one K, he listed mentally.

"Ben!"

Ben turned himself around so that he was staring directly behind him. Peiton was running toward him at speeds far too fast for a normal teenager (or _any_ human for that matter). She actually looked more like a blur of plaid, he decided, from the way her unzipped jacket billowed behind her.

"Peiton!" He screamed.

"Ben!" Peiton screamed back.

"Peiton!"

"Ben!"

"Peiton!"

"Ben!"

The two siblings embraced each other as though they'd been separated for years rather than just a day. Peiton pushed herself back from her younger brother and smiled. "I missed you baby brother!"

Ben blushed as red as the cherry bandana wrapped around his thin neck. "Must you always call me that?" He asked.

Peiton smiled. "Of _course!_"

Ben sighed.

Peiton looked over Ben's shoulder to the seven wooden letters he had placed on the ground. She cocked an eyebrow and then turned her attention back to Ben. "You got the letters too?" She asked.

Ben looked at her. "Yes," he nodded. "You got them?"

Peiton dropped her backpack from her shoulders and onto the ground. She unzipped the largest pouch at the back, and pulled out letters identical to Ben's, only she had an 'N' in place of a third 'A'.

"How'd you get your letters?" Ben asked, wanting to know what torment his sister had to go through to get those.

Peiton laughed and counted off the seven challenges she'd faced on her fingers. "Let's see: I had to break into Chef Hatchett's fridge, eat my way through a batch of his Mystery Meat, clean one of the toilets in the Communal Washrooms-"

Ben shuddered at the very thought of getting within ten feet of those deadly toilets.

"I know," Peiton agreed as she saw Ben shudder. "It was horrific. Anyway, I also had to run four laps around the lake, fix the P.A. system, act as a mannequin while Norma knit Chef Hatchett a sweater, and cut a lock of Phoebe's hair."

"Cut a lock of Phoebe's hair?" Ben asked. "How on earth did you convince her to let you?"

Peiton rubbed the back of her neck. "You remember that tranquilizer gun that Izzy used last season for the hunting challenge?"

Ben nodded.

"That's how."

A large roar sounded over the island as Phoebe ran toward Peiton, her arms outstretched and a lock of hair clutched tightly in her left hand. "Peiton! I'm going to kill you!"

"And this is the part where I take my leave," Peiton chuckled as she ran toward the forest. "You'll never get me aliiiiiiive!"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Phoebe snarled and held her hair in front of the camera. "When I catch that loon…"

* * *

Okay, this chapter sucked, I realize that, and I apologize for a wait that led to disappointment. But this challenge is turning out to be way longer than I originally intended for it to be. I might have to post two more chapters on it. I am so sorry to the creators of Alberto, Alice, Ashlynn, 'Christian', Jordan, Josh, Lexie, and Shaya! I promise, promise, promise that there will be more references to your characters in the next chapter!


	9. Treasure Seekers, Part 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island. The only things that I own are the plot of this story, and the characters Jamie, Hillary, Mitch, Derek, Daniel, and Norma.**

* * *

"Hey, Campers," Chris' voice came over the P.A. system. "Props go out to Peiton for fixing this P.A. system so I could give you this message: you only have fifteen minutes left to complete your necessary nine missions and reclaim your items! McClean _out!_"

* * *

**Alberto**

Peiton and Phoebe ran in front of the Mess Hall as Alberto and Jamie stared out at them. Jamie was once again seated with Jasmine after having completed his last eight tasks and had come back to complete his first one. Alberto however, looked absolutely green as he drank sip after sip of Chris' pureed toenails, which Chef Hatchet had prepared for the sole enjoyment of watching the jock vomit.

"Drink that toenail smoothie, boy!" Chef Hatchet yelled. He itched at the turquoise sweater that Norma had knitted him as part of Peiton's last challenge.

Alberto groaned. "I can't do it. It's too gross. I actually think that some of Chris' toe jam found its way into the concoction."

"Less whining, more drinking, Al!" Hatchet barked again. "You haven't completed eight challenges just to wimp out on the last one! Do I make that clear?!"

"Sir, yes- oh!" Alberto stuck his head under the table and vomited onto the floor. He wretched and he coughed and he even cried a bit as the wave of yellow chunks fell from his mouth.

"Well that's just great!" Hatchet yelled. "You lil' sissy boy! Don't'cha know better than to puke all over a Chef's clean floor?"

"Oh yeah," Jamie said, his voice now back to normal. "This floor's clean enough to eat off of."

Jasmine giggled and Chef Hatchet thumped Jamie in the back of his head with a wooden spoon. "Don't sass me, boy!"

The burly, and most likely ex-convict, Chef turned his attention back to the puddle of yellow mush that lay at his feet, and then at Alberto. "Tell you what," he said. He walked into the kitchen and less than a minute later, came back holding an already dampened mop. "You clean up this mess, and I'll give you your final clue."

Alberto smiled at the Chef. "Thanks, Chef," he said. "That would be-" but he was cut off as more vomit rushed from his open mouth.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Thank you for not vomiting into it

-"Does my Mess Hall look like a dump to you?!" Chef Hatchet screamed, shaking his fists violently.

* * *

**Raphael**

Raphael shook his head defiantly as Jaro pushed him toward Sasquatchinakwa's cave. "I'm not going in there," he said.

"Dude," Jaro urged him. "If you want to win this competition, you gotta go in there and get a piece of fur off of Sasquatchinakwa!"

"I'll get another clipboard if I have to!"

"Dude," Jaro sighed. "It can't possibly be that bad."

An angry roar echoed throughout the cave as Jaro tried once again to push Raphael inside. "Still think it's 'not that bad'?" Raphael asked.

Jaro merely chuckled at the timid teen, and shoved him directly into the cave; another roar shot through the air as Raphael came running out, a very angry Sasquatchinakwa close behind him.

Raphael ran past Jaro and chucked a patch of lavender fur at him. "Here's the stupid fur!" He yelled, scuttling up a nearby tree.

"Somebody get this psychotic beast away from me!" Raphael pleaded, kicking at the large, purple hand that was grabbing at him.

"Have no fear!" A feminine voice came from behind Jaro. "Peiton is here!"

Peiton was suddenly standing in front of Jaro, her torso thrust forward to show off a new T-shirt that had the Superman emblem on it, although it was accented with a red 'P' rather than an 'S'.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Founder of the 'Anti-Psycho Hose Beast Union'

-Raphael slapped a hand to his head and pulled out a dark green Sharpie. He scribbled a message on the wall of the stall, and then directed the camera toward it. 'Great,' it read. 'First I'm attacked by a giant purple, yeti knockoff, and then a psycho hose beast comes to my aid! Do things get any worse than this?'

* * *

"Can somebody else help me?!" Raphael asked.

Peiton stuck out her tongue and shouted, "Don't you dare turn down my help, unless you want to end up inside the stomach of one very angry Sasquatchinakwa!"

It was at that moment that Sasquatchinakwa decided to start climbing the tree.

"Gah! Okay, okay! Help!"

A smile slithered across Peiton's face. "That's more like it!"

She sucked in a deep breath, crouched down a bit, and then took off like a speeding bullet into Sasquatchinakwa's unsuspecting back. The purple beast roared as Peiton pulled on its fur, stressing the roots severely and sending a sharp pain up its spine.

"Woo-hoo!" Jaro shouted. "Go Peiton! Kick his nasty ass!"

Peiton let out a raging war cry as she jumped from the middle of Sasquatchinakwa's back to the base of his neck, locking her arms tightly around the front and pressing her chin tightly against his shoulder. "Ain't so tough now, huh big guy?!" She teased, making Sasquatchinakwa thrash out even more, and almost knock Raphael down to the ground.

"Hey!" Raphael shouted, his face beet red with worry. "Watch it!"

"Sorry, Ralphy!" Peiton screamed.

Raphael scowled at the nickname. "Don't call me that."

Peiton simply shrugged and then proceeded to climb to the top of Sasquatchinakwa's head, her eyes set intently on the pointed tip of a forehead. She let loose another cry as she lurched forward, arms outstretched and hair flowing freely, and latched herself to the top of Sasquatchinakwa's head.

"Take him down, Peiton!" Jaro laughed.

Peiton beat down on the Sasquatch's unprotected head, her small hands surprisingly strong and powerful. Sasquatchinakwa's grip on the tree dissolved as he reached out for Peiton, and then immediately fell to the ground for lack of support. His large head crashed mercilessly onto the hard-packed ground, and he was knocked unconscious, much to Peiton and Raphael's great pleasure.

"I am victorious!" Peiton stood proudly on Sasquatchinakwa's back and held two peace signs high above her head.

Raphael quickly scuttled back down the tree, and ran toward Jaro. "There," he panted, still exhausted from having to flee from a monster who, since he arrived here, believed to be only a fable. "I got the stupid fur. Now where's that last clue?"

Jaro chuckled and searched through the side pocket of his faded jeans; he pulled out a piece of folded over green paper, and a small wooden 'W'. "There you are, my man."

Raphael smiled and ran off, Peiton following behind him. "Wait!" She screamed. "You could be my sidekick! You could help me protect the other competitors from the dangers of Wawanakwaaaaaaaa!"

* * *

**Alice**

Alice stared at Osairia in utter disbelief. "Have you gone mad?"

"To quote the Cheshire Cat, "we're all mad here"," Osairia said with a flip of her hair. "Besides, aren't you a total fan of that Twilight book? You should be thanking us to have given you this challenge."

"I like _reading_ Twilight," Alice said. "Acting out a scene from it – especially _this_ scene- is something completely different!" And she gestured to the large pickup truck that hurtling toward her at breakneck speeds, fishtailing to regain some control.

"Oh relax, and stop being such a baby," Osairia snapped. "It's not like Chris is actually gonna let that truck hit you."

Alice tapped her knuckles to the crown of Osairia's head. "Anybody home? This is Chris we're talking about! He doesn't care about our safety! If a teenage girl getting run over by a runaway truck will boost ratings, he won't care who gets hurt!"

Alice shrieked as she jumped out of the way of the speeding truck.

Osairia grabbed Alice by the end of her flowing ponytail and pulled her up so that the two of them were at eye level. She signaled for Reggie, who was the one driving the truck, to stop for a second. In the interest of keeping all of his limbs, Reggie obliged.

"Listen!" She shouted as she shook Alice by her shoulders. "All you have to do to win this crappy challenge is press yourself against 'your' car, and trust that Reggie here won't totally kill you. If you can do that, then you're good to go."

"Believe it or not, Osairia, that is a task easier said than done."

At this, Osairia couldn't help but laugh. "Look," she said. "Just go out there and at least try. If it ends up that you can't do it, then oh well. I'm pretty sure that the rest of your team will be able to pull of their tasks. What with that pigheaded chick-"

"Phoebe," Alice corrected.

"That crazy girl-

"Peiton."

"That airheaded party boy-"

"Even."

"And that cynical little douche bag-"

"Ja-" Alice stopped. "You know, for the time being, we shall just continue to call him that 'cynical little douche bag'."

"I was plannin' on it," Osairia nodded. "Anyway, get to moving! Reggie's got the car waiting, and is wasting perfectly good gas!"

"So?" Alice asked. "Doesn't the show pay for it?"

Osairia let loose a bitter chuckle. "I wish. Everything that you see on this show comes out of at least one of _our_ paychecks. Guess who ends up paying for the fuel and electricity?"

"Ouch," Alice said.

"Mmm-hmm," Osairia said, but then she put her self-pity aside and pushed Alice forward. "But don't be standing here agreein' with me. You got a car to dodge."

* * *

**Shaya**

"Okay, Shaya," Jessica urged the Indian beauty. "This is your last challenge before you get your final clue. You can do this!"

"Oh yeah?" Shaya asked, pressing herself into Jessica. "Then why haven't I done it already?"

Jessica urged Shaya over to the edge of the cliff and looked down to see the dorsal fins of a family of sharks. They circled menacingly outside the safety zone, ready to pounce should someone be stupid enough to jump over the edge of the cliff.

"Shaya," Jessica started again. "It's not as hard as it seems."

"Easy for you to say," Shaya snapped. "You're not the one who has to jump to your death!" She cowered and buried her head in Jessica's shoulder, not wanting to look at the sharks any more than necessary.

"Shaya…"

Shaya just whimpered.

Jessica looked around to make sure Chris was nowhere in sight. When she was sure the coast was clear, she turned Shaya so that she was facing her. "Okay, Shaya. Here's what we're gonna do:

"You're going to close your eyes and I'll guide you to the end of the cliff. Then, with your eyes still shut, we'll both jump."

"How do I know you won't just push me off and you'll stay safe and sound up here?" Shaya asked.

"Shaya, look at me." Shaya looked. "Do you honestly think I would do that?"

Shaya searched Jessica's hazel eyes for any signs of a lie, but couldn't find any. "Okay," she squeaked and she shut her eyes tight.

Jessica tightened her grip on the girl's shoulders and started to walk to the cliff's edge. She put Shaya before her, and held on tight. "Are you ready?" She asked.

"No."

"On the count of three," Jessica said. "The two of us are going to jump, okay? Not before three, and not after. One…"

Shaya's brow creased with worry.

"Two…"

Jessica's arms began to rattle.

"Three!" The two girls screamed as they jumped over the edge of the cliff, Jessica trying to steer them into the safe zone.

"Oh, we're not going to make it!" Shaya screamed. She held Jessica closely and screamed even louder.

The two were close enough now to get a clear view of the sharks, who waited open-mouthed for them to drop down into their empty bellies. Water was sent upward into the air as Shaya broke through the water's surface and Jessica followed shortly behind her. The sharks winced as Shaya resurfaced and let out a terrified cry.

Jessica came up a few moments after her, gasping for air as she grabbed hold of the sobbing teenager.

"Shaya!" She shushed, but Shaya kept on screaming. "Shaya! It's okay! You did it!"

Shaya stopped trembling, and her sobs reduced themselves small whimpers. She looked Jessica in the eyes and then smiled. "I- I did it, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Jessica agreed. "You did it."

"I did it," Shaya repeated. "I _did_ it!" She laughed out loud and hugged Jessica, placing a kiss on both of her cheeks. "I can't believe I did it!"

Jessica laughed with her and hugged her tight. "Yep, you did it," she agreed. She reached behind her and pulled out of her back pocket a piece of green folded paper, now dampened with water. She also pulled from inside her jacket pocket a wooden 'K'.

"Congratulations, Shaya," Jessica smiled. "Now hurry up and get out of here! Time's almost out."

* * *

**Jordan**

"Dude!" Jordan yelled at the burly chef. "I'm a freakin' vegetarian!" He stabbed the pile of mysterious violet slop before him with his fork, which was the mysterious blob then proceeded to eat.

"Oh, hush boy," Chef yelled as he mauled the 'food' with a meat tenderizer. "There ain't no meat in there!"

Jordan looked back down at his food, which twitched pathetically after Chef's beating. "Are you sure about that?"

"Does it look like I'm unsure, soldier?!"

"Sir, no, sir!" Jordan yelled, bringing his right hand to his head in a salute. Hatchet nodded in approval at Jordan's apparent respect, which was driven mostly by fear, and then turned behind him. Jordan heard the moan of the rusted pipes as Chef Hatchet ran the kitchen sink behind the counter.

He handed Jordan a glass of dirty looking water.

"Listen here, boy," Chef whispered. "Ya don't bug me nearly as much as the others; you or those two teammates of yours 'Raymond' and 'Alicia'."

Jordan cocked an eyebrow. "You mean Raphael and Alice?"

Chef gave Jordan a foreboding stare, shutting Jordan up. "As I was sayin', I don't mind y'all so much – that Lexie girl neither – so I'm gonna make this challenge easier on ya. 'Cuz even _I'll_ admit that this food ain't good."

Jordan laughed. "You're telling me."

Chef Hatchet couldn't help but smile, showing off his bad teeth. "Like I was sayin', I'mma make this challenge easier on ya. Now the water here may not be the cleanest neither, but it's gonna make stomaching this slop a hell'a a lot less lethal."

"How so?" Jordan asked as he stirred the grimy water with his finger. "This water looks like it came from the communal toilets."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Never take candy from strangers, and never take food from Chef Hatchet

-Chef growled at the camera. "I try and make the challenge easier on the kid and I still get lip. Kids today," he muttered.

-Jordan held the glass of grimy water at arm's length. "I'm really kind of nervous about drinking this. I mean, when has Chef Hatchet ever shown any signs of decency before?"

"Never," came the reply from the cameraman.

"Thanks, dude."

* * *

"Well let me finish," Chef ordered; Jordan nodded in agreement. "Good. Now, this water's so painfully salty that it's gonna dry ya mouth so much, that you won't be able to focus on the food's nasty taste. Sure, ya mouth'll be uncomfortable after that, but hey, there's some Gatorade back here to help with that."

Jordan looked at Chef, then at the water, then at the purple slop, then back to the water, and then at Chef again. He leaned onto the counter and, trying to sound as tough as he could, asked, "What's goin' on here? Why're you trying to help me?"

Chef Hatchet sighed. "I told you," he whispered. "You and those teammates o' yer's are the only ones here I can stand."

"But I thought you hated any Camper that set foot on this island?"

"Nah," the Chef laughed. "Just them spoiled brats from last season. "'Cept for Bridgette; she was a'ight."

Jordan twirled the plate around curiously with his littlest finger. "And you're serious about this?"

Chef Hatchet nodded.

"No poisons in the water? No laxatives in the mush?"

Chef shook his head.

Jordan sighed. "All right, here goes nothing." He scooped the entire pile of purple slop onto his spoon and shoved it into his awaiting mouth. He gagged and wretched as he reached for the glass of water and brought it to his lips. He sipped the saltwater through his lips and almost immediately the slop's horrid taste faded from his mouth as he was faced with the new challenge of downing the water.

"Go on, Jordan," Chef urged. "Ain't so hard. Just swallow."

Jordan did as he was instructed and let the mixture of slop and salt slither down his throat, burning it more and more as it slid further down. "Oh, Jesus Christ," Jordan gasped. "That was _vile!_"

"Well, the worst is over, boy."

Jordan's stomach growled fiercely and he gripped it in pain. Then, he made a beeline dash from the mess hall to the communal washrooms across the way, leaving a very giddy Chef Hatchet behind him.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Not an actual toilet

-Chef Hatchet held his sides together as he let loose a hearty laugh, and then brought a small packet of chocolate flavored laxatives into the camera's view. "Didn't think I'd gone soft, now, did ya?"

* * *

**Ashlynn**

Ashlynn groaned in the back of her throat as she made her way up the side of the 1,000-foot cliff, a sled trailing behind her that she pulled along for the ride. "How do you guys come up with this crap?" She asked, turning around to look at the sole passenger aboard the sled.

Kia looked up from her pink painted nails, which she had been filing for the last five minutes, and smiled at Ashlynn. "We're a little twisted, savvy?" She then went back to her nails.

"'Savvy'?" Ashlynn repeated. "Who the hell says 'savvy'?"

"Don't get distracted," Kia mocked. "Just stay focused on getting to the top in time."

Ashlynn rolled her hazel eyes. "That would be a lot easier if you'd lose a couple pounds."

Kia snapped her nail file in two and glared at Ashlynn. "Watch it, Ashy," Kia hissed; Ashlynn rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she muttered, and she began to start back up the mountainside, Kia still being dragged slowly along. She grunted as the sled kept stopping short behind her, always dipping into the smallest of holes and hooking onto bits of rock and unruly weeds.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Giving new meaning to 'Brokeback' Mountain

-Ashlynn rubbed her sore forearms and looked into the camera. "I hate this stupid camp!"

"God, Kia," Ashlynn moaned. "Why do I have to drag you up this far? Honestly? This is getting old."

"That's the whole point," Kia laughed, pulling a nail file identical to the previous one out of the side pocket of her shorts. "Now keep moving, unless you don't want to see you beloved little necklace again."

"Bitch," Ashlynn muttered under her breath. She tugged harshly at the pitiful string that Chris had dared to call a rope, and inched closer toward the pinnacle of the insanely tall cliff. "Only a few more feet," she breathed; the checkpoint (a bright orange arrow) beamed at her, painfully vibrant compared to the dull green foliage around her.

"About damn time," Kia snapped, tossing the second nail file carelessly behind her. "I thought that I'd be old and wrinkly by the time I reached the top of this cliff."

"Oh you're getting there," Ashlynn said. "Believe me."

Kia flipped Ashlynn the bird, and then placed a hand down the front of her baby blue T-shirt. She pulled out a small wooden 'N', as well as a sheet of folded pink paper, and tossed them toward the music loving Gopher Girl. "There," she said, her voice icy as ever. "Now go find that cheap necklace."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Feeling homicidal? Come to the confessional!

-"Would I be a horrible person if I threw Kia off the side of the cliff?" Ashlynn asked. "Or would I being doing my fellow Campers a great favor?"

* * *

**Alex**

"This is not worth one million dollars," Alex said. She frowned as Daniel ground madly against her thigh, looking more like he was trying to give her a lap dance over anything else.

"You're telling me!" Wolf yelled from the benches lined up before the stage. He tossed a handful of artery-clogging, buttered popcorn into his mouth and watched in delight at Alex's misfortune. "The kid was doing this to me earlier! I swear the lil' punk tried to get into my pants more than once."

"I did _not!_" Daniel shouted, pouting his chapped lips.

"Uh-huh," Wolf said, his voice thick with sarcasm. "Sure ya didn't kid."

"Wolf, how much longer do I have to let him do this? I thought you said I only had to do _one_ dance routine with 'im?"

Wolf chuckled. "Alex, the dance routine is a good thirty minutes long!"

Alex blanched. "Are you shitting me?!" She yelled.

Wolf tossed some more popcorn. "Nope!" He grinned. "But don't worry, you've already made it through fifteen minutes."

Daniel immediately stopped grinding against Alex. "We've been dancing for fifteen minutes?"

Wolf nodded.

"Oh em gee!" Daniel giggled. "Nobody's ever made it this far without trying to strangle me before! Eeeee!"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Has no BFFFL to call its own

-Alex gave a bitter laugh. "Great," she said. "I thought this season would be tolerable without the freakin' BFFFLs around. Looks like we got a step _above_ that, now."

**

* * *

**

Jamie

"Nuh-uh," Jamie said with a firm shake of his head. "I'm not going to degrade myself in such a horrific manner."

"Jamie!" Jasmine yelled, shaking the short boy by his shoulders. "Come on! This is your last challenge! You can do this!"

Jamie frowned at Jasmine. "Easy for you to say; You don't go to school with the kid." He nodded his head toward Daniel, who was currently up on the stage of the amphitheater performing a ridiculous looking dance alongside Alex, who seemed ready to shoot herself… or Daniel… or possibly both of them.

Jasmine nodded her head in agreement. "Well, that's true," she admitted. "But it's not like it has to be a big deal. You run up to the kid and give him a quick peck on the mouth. Easy as '1, 2, 3'."

She looked back at Daniel, who had moved on to grinding against Wolf's outer right thigh. "Besides, if Daniel's not gay, then I don't know what is."

"But-"

Jasmine cut Jamie off. "Save the arguments for later. Right now, you've got a guy to kiss."

Jamie cringed. "Couldn't you have said it a little more subtly?'

Jasmine just rolled her eyes. "Okay," Jamie sighed. "I'll do it. But this is _only_ for the sake of the challenge."

Jasmine nodded. "Of course."

Jamie sucked in a mouthful of stale air and straightened his back. He pushed his dyed green bangs out of his face and walked toward the stage, eyes locked intensely on Daniel and the forlorn looking Alex.

Upon seeing Jamie, Daniel immediately jumped from his spot against Alex's thigh and latched himself to Jamie instead. "HI!" The hyperactive boy screamed, shattering Jamie's eardrum and scaring the birds from the trees.

Ears still ringing, Jamie pushed Daniel off of him and held him arm's length apart. "Sneaking into Chef's sugar stash, are we?" He asked, swiping a finger over Daniel's upper lip in an attempt to get the trail of white powder off.

Daniel, however, fiercely batted Jamie's hand away, and started to giggle like a madman. "Maybeee_,_" he laughed. "So what brings you over here?" He gasped. "Have you come to help me with my dancing!?"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Where teens come to vent

-Jamie sat rubbing his temples. "If I _ever_ start acting like Daniel, someone please blow my friggin' brains out!"

* * *

"Um, no."

Daniel's face fell. "Then what is it?" He asked.

Jamie paled and wrung his hands nervously, quietly muttering the Lord's Prayer under his breath while doing so. "Um," he paused, trying to come up with a decent lie. "I have a surprise for you!"

Daniel's eyes glowed behind his glass frames. "A surprise? For lil' ol' me?"

Jamie cringed at the poorly done Southern accent but nodded his head. "But in order to get the surprise, you have to close your eyes."

"Huh? Why?"

Jamie cringed yet again. "Because… otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise."

A sense of understanding washed over Daniel's face. "Okay!" And he closed his eyes and held out his hands.

Jamie looked frantically back at Jasmine, who nodded her head, urging him to continue. Making the sign of the cross, Jamie quickly leaned in and brushed his lips against Daniel's.

"There!" Jamie shouted at a nearby cameraman. "Happy?"

The camera just moved up and down, as if to say 'yes'.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Katy Perry's number one fan

-Daniel stared at the camera with wide eyes. "Did Jamie just _kiss_ me!?" And then his lips pulled upward into a painfully bright smile. "Oh em gee! Now I'm just like Katy Perry and that song 'I Kissed a Girl'! Well, I mean, I kissed a guy, but same diff!"

* * *

"Woo-hoo! Go Jamie!" Jasmine cheered.

Jamie threw an evil glare at her, and she immediately fell silent. "I believe that you have a clue to give me?" He asked.

"Oh yeah," Jasmine nodded. And she pulled from her jean pocket a piece of folded orange paper, and a small wooden 'K'. "Now hurry up, Jamie! You only got fifteen minutes left before the challenge ends!"

**

* * *

**

Mitch

Mitch frowned at the twenty or so balls of fluff that pawed playfully at the legs of his jeans. Cats.

"Who comes up with this crap, anyway?" he asked Norma, who merely shrugged.

"I think Chris comes up with a majority of it, but I'm not certain," Norma admitted as she began tying her faded red hair into a bun at the base of her neck.

Mitch cringed as a cat wound itself around his legs and wound its way in between them. "But this isn't even challenging!" He whined. "This is just disturbing!"

Norma gave Mitch a stern look. "Now see here, young man," she said. "No one never got nowhere from whining."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Prefers positives

-"I'm pretty sure that was a double negative," Mitch said. "Maybe even a triple?"

* * *

"Now Mitchell," Norma said, making Mitch cringe as she used his real name. "This is a rather easy challenge; embarrassing maybe, but still easy."

"I'm not saying that it's _not_ easy," Mitch countered. "I just don't want 20-or-so cats licking cat food off my face!"

Norma pulled the can of cat food and can opener from the pocket of her green polo shirt. "Well, young man," she said. "It's your choice to make, though I must say: I don't believe your teammates would be too pleased to find out you didn't participate at all on your last challenge."

While Mitch hated to admit it, he knew Norma was right. He was already off to a bad enough start with that Jamie kid… and Jamie seemed to be pretty chummy with Raphael and Alice. Mitch couldn't be sure that, assuming his team lost, he wouldn't be rocking the Boat of Losers that night if Jamie was still P.O'd at him.

"All right," Mitch sighed as he got down to the ground and lay on his back. "Do it."

Norma nodded her head and placed the can opener at the can's edge. She worked the opener around the can until the lid popped off and the stench of cat food filled Mitch's nostrils.

"Don't worry, hun," she said. "It's gonna go by like that." She snapped her chubby fingers for example. She lowered the can of cat food toward Mitch and the cats immediately started swarming in his directions. She spread the sickly concoction of meats and gravies onto Mitch's cheeks and watched his face scrunch up in disgust as the cats' furry tongues lapped at the food.

"I can smell rats on their breath!" Mitch cried as a particularly fat tabby cat licked at the area just below his right eye.

Norma stifled a small chuckle. "They're almost done eating," she said. "It doesn't take long for so many cats to chow down on one can of food."

Sure enough, the cats stopped licking Mitch's face about thirty seconds later. Then, with their stomach's longing for food fulfilled, they took off in the direction of the Mess Hall, where multiple bowls of milk were lined up outside.

"That was _disgusting_!" Mitch wretched as he wiped his face off with the sleeve of his bright pink shirt.

Norma gave Mitch a light smile and said, "Oh hush now, I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"You're not the one who went through with it," Mitch snapped.

Norma frowned at Mitch's disrespect but pulled a wooden 'N' from her pocket anyway, along with a piece of folded gold paper. "There you are, Mitchell," she said. "Now go on; finish this challenge!"

**

* * *

**

Derek

Derek brought the wooden spoon to his nose and sniffed at it curiously. He pulled back immediately; he wasn't sure he wanted to know what the purple gunk on the end was.

"Boy, why've you stopped cleanin'!" Chef Hatchet yelled as he sat in a corner of the kitchen. A copy of 'Glamorous Ponies' lay open in his lap, much to Derek's confusion and slight disturbance.

Derek turned back to the sink full of dirty, and possibly disease-ridden, dishes and cooking utensils and his face grew paler than usual. He ran a hand through his short black hair before picking up the scrub brush to the right of the sink and placing it on top of the filthy spoon.

"That's more like it," Hatchet murmured.

Derek scrubbed the spoon ferociously, trying to get the slop of the surface so as to get this challenge over with. However, the purple gunk (which by now had started to turn an ugly shade of brown) didn't take too well to being scrubbed so harshly, and it quickly attached itself to Derek's bony wrist.

Derek, needless to say, screamed.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – No purple people eaters in here.

"Okay, give me a break!" Derek shouted as he tried to pry the purple thing off his wrist. "I mean, I knew that the challenges would be dangerous, and the Chef Hatchet would be… Hell, I thought some of my fellow Campers would be dangerous. But the food? Come on now!"

* * *

As Derek continued to scream, Chef Hatchet pulled from one of his many kitchen drawers a large spatula. He bounded over to Derek, grabbed hold of his flailing wrist, and stuck the spatula beneath the purple slop. "Hold still, ya sissy boy," he said.

"Easy for you to say!" Derek snapped. "You're not the one with a pile of slop trying to eat your arm!"

"Quiet!" Chef Hatchet yelled as he slammed his fist down on the spatula's handle. The spatula pried the purple slop off of Derek's arm and sent it upward toward the ceiling, which it immediately latched onto. Even Chef Hatchet gave the gunk an eerie look as it slithered its way across the top of the kitchen and crawled up into a ventilation shaft.

"Well, that's just… I don't even know what that is," Hatchet admitted.

Derek, no longer wanting to be anywhere _near_ the kitchen, asked Chef Hatchet, "So, am I done?"

Chef turned toward the sink in which the dirty dishes lay. Or previously dirty, he should say, since the pots, pans, and glasses were all sparkling in the dim light of the kitchen.

Chef gave Derek a nod of approval. "Yeah; you can go."

Derek thanked Chef and headed toward the door when Chef Hatchet remembered. "Oh wait!" Hatchet cried.

Derek stopped with his hand on the doorknob and watched as Chef pulled from his apron a small, wooden 'K' and a piece of folded orange paper. "There ya go," he said. "Now get!"

Derek thanked Chef Hatchet and walked out the door, not realizing that the pile of purple slop was still following him.

**

* * *

**

Keala

Keala looked unsure as she took the tranquilizer gun into her tiny hands. "Are you sure that this is safe… and legal?" She asked, not really too comfortable with the idea of shooting her fellow Campers for a challenge.

Kia shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her nails. "Don't know, nor do I really care," she admitted. "All I care about is the ratings this show gets."

Keala raised an eyebrow at Kia. "Why would _you_ care about the ratings? Chris is the one getting paid."

"True," Kia said. "But he ends up spending, like, half of what he gets on me. After all, 'nothing's too good for me', to quote Chris."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Believes that Kia was an only child

-Keala laughed. "Shoot," she said. "Chris must'a hit his head on something pretty damn hard to believe that _Kia_ was worth whatever he can buy with that cash o' his."

* * *

Keala turned back to the tranquilizer gun and sighed, then she turned to Kia. "Who do I have to shoot again?"

Kia momentarily stopped filing her nails and reached into her back pocket. She pulled out a small, worn piece of notebook paper and read off, "Jack, Phoebe, Christian, and Destiny.""

Keala cringed at the thought of shooting two of her own teammates, but thought that this was all for the sake of the challenge. She nodded her pretty blond head and headed out to find her targets.

**

* * *

**

A/N: I think that this chapter was better than most others that I've written, but I still feel that I could have done much better!

**You see that nice green button that says 'Review this Story/Chapter?' Yeah, click it. Leave feedback telling me how I can improve, if I didn't capture your character just right, **_**grammar mistakes**_** that I may have made, and more! But seriously folks, please review.**

**I may or may not update for a while. While I do have the next chapter almost completed, I'm stuck with the last few lines. So, if all goes well, expect an update tomorrow; if not, then pray that I get over this fucking writer's block.**

**Oh, and by the way? Apologies to lmc3200 if you didn't want Jordan to be a vegetarian. I just felt that it would go better with the scene.**

**ONLY ONE MORE PART OF THIS CHALLENGE AND THEN THE BONFIRE CEREMONY! I SWEAR!!!**


	10. Treasure Seekers, Part 4

**Even**

"Um, Jessica?" Even called to the host, looking at him from over his shoulder. "Are you sure that this is safe?"

At the current moment, Even was dangling above the open mouth of one very large Wawanakwa crocodile. Inside the mouth of said crocodile, a wooden 'W' was (poorly) tied around one very white, and very sharp, tooth.

"Is anything at this camp safe?" Jessica countered, making sure to put air quotes around the word 'safe'.

"Touché," Even nodded. "But in all seriousness, does Chris expect me to complete this challenge, _and_ come back alive?"

"I suppose so," Jessica shrugged. "He said that he only lost one intern this time, versus the usual twenty-something."

Even gave a nervous chuckle. "That ain't exactly the most reassuring statement right there."

"But it's truthful."

"Once again, 'touché'."

The crocodile snapped its large mouth shut, its teeth clamping onto the back pocket of Even's faded blue jeans. Even hollered in shock and hurriedly pulled his way up the rope that supported him.

"Even!" Jessica cried. She grabbed frantically at the rope holding Even and began pulling it toward her, only to have Even hold a hand up at her.

"No," he said. "Leave the rope; I'm not losing to a freakin' crocodile."

"But, Even…"

"Nuh-uh," Even interrupted. "If Leshawna could take on two crocodiles, I can take on one."

Jessica gnawed nervously on her nails as she watched Even lower himself until he was only a foot above the crocodile's back. The crocodile had calmed down since attempting to take a bite out of Even only moments ago and was now resting peacefully in the water.

"Oh, be careful," Jessica pleaded, moving on to her other hand after the nails on her right were nibbled down to a nub.

Even turned to his worried friend and smiled. "Ah, don't be such a baby," he teased.

Jessica huffed. "I'm only concerned about your wellbeing," she said, obviously having missed the joking tone in Even's voice.

Even merely shrugged it off and turned back to the problem at hand. How on Earth, Even wondered, was he supposed to get this key?

"Gah! _Look out_!" Even and Jessica turned to whoever was yelling at them. They saw Keala, neon orange gun in her hands, waving frantically at them as a rather large dot, filled with a sickly green liquid, headed toward Even at full speed.

Jessica's eyes widened and she turned to Even. "Even, duck!" She yelled.

Even let go of the rope he was holding on to and fell onto the crocodile's scaly back. The crocodile, not expecting to be startled from his slumber, jerked upright so that he was standing on his hind legs. However, since he was a crocodile, his brain was unable to register the fact that a dart was coming toward him in time for him to duck. And so, the dart hit his underside, and he immediately went tumbling into the water.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – That's right, _fear_ PETA.

-Jessica slapped a hand to her forehead. "Methinks that PETA won't be to fond of this little incident."

* * *

Even looked in shock at the now sedated crocodile and then looked back to the leather wearing Bass girl. A hand was clapped to her forehead and the orange tranquilizer was clutched in her right hand, which hung limply by her thigh.

Keala's light blue eyes met with Even's and a blush rushed to her face, staining it pink. She immediately ran to him and apologized.

"I am so, so, so, so, _so_ sorry for almost shooting you!" She cried.

Even just laughed at Keala and kneeled down by the unconscious crocodile; then, he ripped the jaws open and pulled the 'W' out of the crocodile's mouth.

"No need to apologize," he said. "You just made this challenge a hell of a lot easier on me."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Not to be used as a punching bag

-Keala slammed her fist against the confessional's wall. "Dammit! I just helped my competition with his challenge!" She then gave the camera a worried look. "I pray that my team wins this; otherwise, I fear I'll probably be the one going home tonight."

* * *

Jessica gave a sigh of relief now that Even had safely retrieved the desired 'W'. "Way to go, Ev," she said before turning to Keala. "And thank you, too. You possibly just saved my friend's life."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Where most shrugging ensues

-Keala raised her shoulders in a small shrug. "Well, if I get the boot tonight, at least I'll be able to think of how I possibly saved a life."

**

* * *

**

Jack

Jack's jaw dropped as he looked at the girl before him. "Cujo?" He asked, not fully able to believe that it was indeed his older sister.

"Hey, Jack," she smiled, a Bō staff in her hands. "How's my baby brother doing?"

Jack rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then, when he was sure neither Chris nor his eyes were playing tricks on him, wrapped Cujo in a bone-crushing hug.

"Holy shit!" He yelled. "What're you doing here?!"

Cujo laughed and poked Jack in the stomach with her Bo staff. "Care to go a round? Just for old times sake?"

Truth be told, Jack hadn't tried dueling anyone since Cujo had left for college, and he wasn't quite sure if he could beat her. Cujo _was_, after all, the one who taught him how to fight properly. Because, quite frankly, he had sucked at any kind of physical combat before she took the time to help him.

But regardless, Jack couldn't say 'no' to a duel with his sister.

"You're on!" He yelled, pulling a Bō staff out of nowhere.

Cujo, not expecting such eagerness, jumped back and fell to the ground. She quickly stood up and smoothed the wrinkles off of her cut-off jeans. "The rules are simple," she said. "We fight for five minutes straight. In those five minutes, use your Bō to counter every attack. Got it?"

Jack rolled his eyes (though one remained hidden behind a curtain of pink-black hair) at Cujo. "Yeah, yeah," he said, his ego getting the better of him. "LET"S GO!"

Immediately, Cujo swung her Bō at Jack, who held his own in front of him in order to deflect the blow. Cujo's Bō ricocheted off of Jack's and hit her square in the nose.

"Ay!" Cujo cried as she tended to her injured nose, which had started to bleed.

Jack's eyes widened and he dropped his staff. He ran to his sister's side and said, "Oh, God, Cujo! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean that! Honest!"

Cujo swung her staff at Jack violently and Jack jumped back, startled. Cujo clucked her tongue in disappointment at Jack's superior sense gullibility. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Jackie," she said. "I thought I taught you better than to fall for such a simple charade?"

Jack stared dumfounded at his sister. Cujo saw Jack's expression and gave a playful laugh. "Aw, come on, Jack. It couldn't have shocked you _that_ badly!"

But Jack continued to stare at Cujo in awe, to a point where Cujo began to grow concerned. "Jack?" She asked.

She stepped forward toward her baby brother and lightly touched his shoulder. He fell forward onto the ground, and it was then that Cujo caught sight of the dart that stood upright in Jack's left ass cheek.

"One down, three to go," Cujo heard Keala mutter from her spot behind the bushes. Keala then looked at Cujo and blushed. "Sorry," she said, and then she scuffled away.

**

* * *

**

Alice

Alice yelped as she watched Reggie slam the pickup truck into a nearby tree, knocking a family of squirrels to the grassy ground below. She ran frightfully toward Osairia, Reggie still in pursuit.

"Wrong way, Alice!" Osairia shouted as she directed Alice toward the bulky, blue SUV that sat stationary on the other side of the green field.

"I know!" Alice yelled, yelping again as Reggie nudged the back of her legs with the truck.

Osairia sighed. "Come on, Alice! Don't you want your journal back?"

Alice froze in her tracks and was knocked to the ground as Reggie collided with her legs. She hissed in pain for a moment before turning back to Osairia. "Repeat?" She asked.

Osairia nodded, surprised that Alice had just taken a blow from behind but didn't seem to be injured or fazed in the slightest. "Don't you want your journal back?" Osairia repeated.

Alice's eye twitched and she stomped over toward Osairia, who tugged nervously at her nametag. Alice gripped Osairia firmly by the shoulders and locked eyes with her. "You mean to tell me that Chris McClean, the most sadistic man in all of Ontario, has my _journal_?" She asked.

Osairia just nodded. "Yeah."

Alice grit her teeth together behind her lips. "Did he happen to take anything else?" She wanted to know, though she hoped the answer was 'no'.

Osairia thought the question over for a minute before nodding. "Oh, yeah. He took that 'Twilight' book, too."

"THAT TEARS IT!" Alice shouted, throwing Osairia roughly to the ground. She spun around on her heel so that she was facing Reggie in the pickup, and silently dared him to try and run her down again.

Reggie shrunk nervously into the seat of the truck before he slowly inched it forward. This proved to be an idiotic choice, however, as Alice kicked her heel into the truck's bumper and sent it backward a few feet.

"FOR EDWARD!" She yelled, her fists raised high above her honey-blond head as she jumped onto the car's hood and ran the length of it. She jumped onto the bed of the trunk and quickly jumped right back out, onto the grassy field. She took off running for the rust-brown 1953 Chevy Pickup on the other end of the field.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Reggie yelled from the driver's seat. He made a U-turn with the pickup and took off after Alice, not willing to be bested by a crazed Edward Cullen fan girl.

But Alice was already halfway across the field, and was going at speeds far too fast for Reggie to catch up with. With an earsplitting, worse-than-nails-on-a-chalkboard scream, Alice jumped the rest of the distance to the Chevy and grazed it with the tips of her fingers.

Reggie had been so focused on catching up with Alice that he didn't pay attention to how fast he was truly going, and consequently lost control of his truck. The truck swerved out of control and did a full 180 before it slammed right into the Chevy.

"Alice!" Osairia cried. The Bass Counselor took off in a sprint toward the wrecked cars, her Counselor ID slapping her in the face with each step she took. She kneeled down beside the back bumper of the Chevy and searched for Alice.

"Alice," she called. "Alice!"

Someone tapped Osairia on the back of her head; it was Alice, looking chipper as ever, standing behind her, rocking on the balls of her feet.

"But how did you…"

"I'll take that final clue now," Alice grinned.

Osairia stared at Alice, one eyebrow raised and with heavy frown lines creasing her forehead. "Say what now?" Osairia asked.

"Final clue," Alice repeated. "You know: that thing you were supposed to give me for completing this task."

Osairia looked from Alice to Reggie, who had ambled out of the pickup and was now leaning against the open door giving Alice the same look that Osairia was. The look, to put it simply, said _Is that girl crazy?_

Osairia responded by casting Reggie a look that said, _Yes._

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – So many crazies, so little time

-"I hate to quote Leshawna," Osairia said. "But is it just me, or is that girl some kind'a crazy?"

-"What the hell was that?!" Reggie shouted at the camera.

-Alice held her hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm _not_ crazy," she said. "It's just that no one messes with my journal and gets away with it!"

* * *

**Peiton**

Peiton panted heavily as she ran toward the top of the 1,000 foot cliff, Phoebe still in hot pursuit and madder than ever. "Get back here, you Crazy Loon!" She shouted.

Peiton stopped dead in her tracks; she turned on her heels and faced the raging Gopher Girl. "Excuse me?" She asked, hands on hips and eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

Phoebe's nostrils flared and she frowned at Peiton. "You heard me, _Crazy LOON._"

Peiton growled a throaty growl and Phoebe stepped back, shocked that something that sounded so menacing could come from such a perky looking girl.

"I'm sure that I didn't hear you right," Peiton said as she took a step toward Phoebe.

"I think you did," Phoebe shot back, straightening her form so that she stood taller than the furious looking blond; secretly though, she was a tad bit scared of what Peiton's next move might be.

Peiton suddenly lunged at Phoebe and knocked the two of them to the ground. Phoebe yelped as her back dug into a rather sharp rock on the ground.

"Never call me a crazy loon!" Peiton yelled. And she sent Phoebe rolling down the 1,000 foot cliff, giggling a little bit on the inside. She watched as she came to a stop at Chris' feet, who stood at the bottom of the cliff nonchalantly filing his nails. Chris then helped Phoebe off the ground and led her into the mess hall, out of Peiton's sight.

"Well then," Peiton said to herself. "That takes care of that." She then turned toward the cliff's edge; she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and checked the digital clock. "I got time," she said before running full speed toward the edge and jumping off. She screamed the whole 1,000 feet as she dropped down into the water.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Sugar, Sugar

-Chef Hatchet rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay," he said. "Maybe forcing Peiton to eat a whole three pound bag of sugar was a bad idea." His face then contorted into a look of disgust. "But it serves her right for snooping through my kitchen! And I don't care how many times she said 'But Chris made me do if for the challenge'. It don't matter to me! Next time: Don't get caught!"

**

* * *

**

Ben

Ben sneezed as he worked his way carefully up a large tree. "Stupid dust," he muttered as he continued his trek up the tree. He batted a branch of green pine needles out of his face and sneezed again.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Offers only Benadryl

-"Great," Ben said. "The first challenge and already my allergies start acting up. To make things worse, Peiton and I are still on separate teams, and it's killing me!"

* * *

"Ben!"

Ben turned toward the voice he so easily recognized as Peiton. He saw her dangling upside down from a tree a few yards away from him and he smiled.

"Peiton!" He yelled back, then he paused. "What are you doing?"

Peiton shrugged. "Oh, you know," she said. "Just hanging around."

Ben rolled his eyes at the cheesy pun. "That was a horrible pun, and you know it," he laughed.

Peiton shrugged again. "What'cha doin' baby brother? This part of a challenge?"

Ben nodded. "Uh-huh. Wolf just told me I had to find the 'W' that was up here, and if I did, it was mine to keep."

"W?" Peiton asked. "You mean this one?" She pulled a 'W' from inside her plaid jacket and waved it in Ben's direction.

"I'm assuming it is, yes," Ben said. "You found it up this tree, right?" He gestured to the tree he was currently climbing.

"You bet," she said. "Here! Catch!"

She threw the W at Ben, who reached out for it, but it spiraled just out of his reach and fell to the ground, knocking a passing raccoon on the noggin.

"Oh!" Peiton cried. "I apologize Señor Raccoon! It was complete accident!"

But the raccoon didn't want to hear Peiton's apologies and pleas for forgiveness. No, she had disrupted his peaceful afternoon stroll and now, as far as he was concerned, she must pay.

"My raccoon brethren!" He shouted, though of course it was all spoken in Raccoon, so it sounded more like unintelligible shrieks than anything else. "Attack the blond and her brother! They wish to wage war! War I say!"

A swarm of furry raccoons came in droves from behind bushes, from the tops of trees, and one very daring raccoon crawled up and out of Sasquatchanakwa's stomach, much to the disturbance and disappointment of said Sasquatch.

"Um… Peiton," Ben said. "Do raccoons normally travel in packs like this?"

"I dunno," Peiton said. "But I remember when Jenny – you remember my friend Jenny, don't you Benny? Oh my God! Benny and Jenny! I rhymed!"

While Peiton continued to babble on about 'being a poet when she didn't even know it', Ben slowly began to descend the tree, wanting to get as far away from the furry demons that waited below as he possibly could.

"Hey!" A raccoon shouted. "There goes to boy! After him!" Of course, this too was spoken in Raccoon.

The raccoons turned toward Ben, who by now had tiptoed a good ten feet away from them, and ran as fast as their stubby feet could carry them after him.

"Ah!" Ben screamed as a raccoon gnashed at his ankles with its gleaming teeth. "Peiton! Help!"

Peiton, having still been going on and on about her impressive rhyming skills, was shocked to hear her brother yelling for help quite a distance away from where she last saw him.

"Oh my gosh!" She yelled. "Ben!"

She immediately dropped down from the tree and ran toward Ben, chest thrust forward again to flash around her red 'P' emblem. "Don't worry, baby brother! Peiton's here!"

Peiton threw herself at the army of raccoons and landed atop their leader. The leading raccoon shrieked as a weight far greater than he pressed him further into the ground and motioned for his fellow Raccoons to continue the attack.

"Ben! Run!" Peiton yelled as she kicked a pack of three raccoons away from her.

"But, Peiton!" He cried. "What about you?"

"Don't worry about me!" Peiton yelled back. "Just get out of here!"

She picked the 'W' that had started this whole ordeal up off the ground and tossed it to Ben. "Go! Go with your 'W' and complete this challenge, baby brother! Do it in my honor!"

Ben bowed his head toward his sister. "You are truly a wonderful sister," he said. He turned on his heels and ran out of the forest, screaming "I'll never forget you Peiton!"

Once she was certain he was out of earshot, Peiton stood up from the ground and turned toward the raccoons. They still looked pissed as ever.

"Well, I guess I'd be a fool to try and take them on," Peiton said. She raised her arms high above her head and took off screaming into the forest, the raccoons still following close behind.

**

* * *

**

Phoebe

"How exactly is this supposed to be a difficult challenge?" Phoebe asked as she straightened out the creases in her bright pink sundress.

"It's not," Chris said. "It's just amusing to see you wearing such a girly dress."

Phoebe growled. "Are you implying that I don't act _girly_ enough for you?"

Chris tapped his fingers to his chin. "Well, girly-girls don't throw their teammates into the water and punch a hole into the bottom of a dock! …Unless they're Eva, whose gender is still under debate."

Phoebe growled again, this time lower. "What are you trying to say, huh? That you can't determine whether _I_ am female?"

Chris gulped down the large lump that formed in his throat. "Um… of course not.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Despises pink

-Chris shuddered in the Confessional. "It's not that I have a hard time classifying Phoebe as a chick; it's just that she's _way_ too violent to not be unsure…"

-"Contrary to what people may believe, I don't have anger issues," Phoebe said as she jabbed a Chris McClean plushie with a spork. (A/N: Fear the almighty SPORK!!)

* * *

"So, what exactly do I have to do?" Phoebe asked Chris. "This challenge can't possibly be this simple."

"Actually, I'm just getting a kick out of this!" Chris laughed. "You pass!"

Chris held his sides together as he tossed a wooden 'W' at Phoebe. "Oh, this is too good to be true," he laughed.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Not as private as Chris lets on

-Phoebe shook her head. "Chris severely disappointed me with that last challenge. I mean, just make me wear a dress? How is that so-"

Phoebe stopped mid-sentence and fell to the floor of the confessional. Keala peered in through the small metal grate at the top of the stall and smile. "Two more!"

* * *

**Raphael**

A think layer of perspiration formed on Raphael's forehead as he gripped the microphone tightly in his thin, white hands. He looked out at his audience: Chris, Chef, Kia, some brunette girl he'd never seen before, Peiton, and some man wearing a trench coat and sunglasses.

"You can do it, Ralphy!" Peiton screamed. Raphael once again found at the nickname.

"I wish you'd stop calling me that," he said.

"Yeah," Peiton said. "And Courtney wanted Duncan to stop calling her 'Princess', but that sure didn't stop him!"

"Dude! Just ignore her and sing the song!" The man in the trench coat and sunglasses yelled, though his voice sounded far too high to be a man's.

"Yeah, come on, Raphael!" The brunette yelled. "You can do it!"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Wonders who the brunette is as well

-Raphael pulled his Sharpie out of the pocket of his shorts and brought it to his left hand. He wrote something down and then turned it to face the camera. It read, "Any idea who that girl is?"

* * *

Raphael licked his chapped lips as he heard the music began playing in the background. Then, he brought the microphone to his lips, and quietly began to sing.

'_Marcy; Marcy's mine_

_And I'm hers_

_And it's true; she isn't perfect_

_And that's fine_

_But what happens now,_

_To the life I thought_

_I knew?_

_I had my whole life planned out_

_There was no surprise to speak of_

_I knew without a doubt_

_What life was all about_

_But now I'm caught because I'm choosing_

_Between the life I may be losing_

_And Marcy_

_Who I love_

_I try to stay the course_

_I think of Marcy and I wander_

_There's this pulling, aching force_

_And I'm certain of the source_

_At first I did my best to completely destroy it_

_Now I'm starting to enjoy it!_

_Is this goodbye to knowing my next move?_

_Goodbye to knowing where I stand?_

_This change isn't small_

_Do I go back on all I've planned?_

_And say hello to uncertain mornings?_

_Just awake and take it from there?_

_But I may regret this choice_

'_Cause I'm reeling_

_It's too much to bet_

_On a whim that I'm feeling_

_Too much is resting on my saying goodbye_

_But then there's Marcy_

_Who sees who I am and still has the nerve to care_

_I know that Marcy_

_Won't give a damn if I plan my life out or leave it up to chance_

_Or set up shop on the moon_

_She'll love me anyway_

_So I say_

_Goodbye to my expectations_

_Goodbye to everything I know_

_No rules to obey, so I'll wake every day and I'll go_

_Full steam to who-knows-what, who cares?_

_As long as Marcy's by my side_

_I used to just do what was planned and prepared_

_I wouldn't trust chance because I was too scared_

_But Marcy is my reason now to try_

_So to who I used to be_

_And the life I thought I wanted_

_Goodbye_

_Goodbye_

_Goodbye!'_

The moment Raphael cut off that final note, a loud round of applause (or as loud as it can get with six people) sounded from the audience. Chris whistled, Peiton and the brunette girl clutched each other and squealed, Kia just went to painting her nails, and Chef Hatchet even cracked a smile.

"All right, Raphael!" The man in the trench coat shouted. The man then pulled at his trench coat and cast it to the ground to reveal… IZZY!

Raphael's eyes nearly popped out of his head as everyone's favorite Psycho Hose Beast threw herself at the nerd, an insane smile plastered on her face as usual. "That was _sooooo_ amazing!" She yelled. "Encore!"

Raphael began to turn a light shade of indigo as Izzy's tight grasp cut off his circulation from the waist up. After a few minutes of struggling, he finally managed to escape the crazy girl and ran toward Chris.

"Chris!" He yelled. "Give me the clue so that I can get outta here!"

Chris shrugged and tossed Raphael a wooden 'N' and a piece of gray, folded paper. "There ya are, Ralphy," he said, using the nickname that Peiton had bestowed upon him. "Now get going, I'll meet up with you in a few minutes."

"Wait!" Izzy yelled as she chased after the screaming Raphael. "I want to hear an encore! Encore says I!"

**

* * *

**

Alberto

Alberto sighed heavily as he dumped the mop once again into the rust-stained bucket.

**

* * *

**

Josh

Josh frowned at the small puzzle book placed before him before he looked up at Jasmine. "This is it?" he asked her. "This is all Chris expects me to do?"

Jasmine looked over Josh's shoulder at the Sudoku puzzle that lay blank on the mess hall table. She noted that it was marked "Easy" at the top and suppressed a laugh… poorly.

"It's not funny," Josh said as Jasmine accidentally let loose a snicker. "It's _insulting_! Here I am, one of the smartest Campers here, and he gives me a freakin' Sudoku puzzle as my final challenge! And an _Easy_ one at that!"

"Stop your whining and embrace the fact that Chris went easy on you," Jasmine frowned. "_You_ may take this offensively, but I'm pretty sure that your teammates would kill for a challenge so simple."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Better at Crossword Puzzles

-"Okay," Josh said. "I understand that maybe I was a little too dramatic with that Sudoku puzzle… but come _on_! I mean, I'm one of the smartest people here, and Chris' decides that my last challenge should be a freakin' Sudoku puzzle? And on EASY?!"

* * *

"There," Josh frowned as he placed a '9' in the upper left corner of the middle box in the first row. The puzzle was complete. "I finished."

Jasmine, who had turned back to her computer moments before, looked at Josh. "Huh?" She asked. "Oh! Um…" She reached below the table and pulled out a wooden 'A'. "There you are."

Josh frowned. "What? Not even gonna bother to check to see if its right?"

"Why would I need to?" Jasmine asked. Then she smiled and said, "Like you said, it was 'Easy'."

**

* * *

**

Rain

Rain covered her ears in an attempt to block out the sound coming from the woman onstage. She was dressed in an archaic Viking outfit, complete with horned helmet, and was belting out notes far too high for any human being.

"Rain," Chris chuckled as he tried prying Rain's hands away from her ears. "You're gonna have to listen to the music for at least two minutes if you want to pass this challenge."

Rain gave a look that read 'And if I refuse?' Chris seemed to understand the meaning behind the look and said, "Well, you don't have to complete the challenge if you don't want. _But_ it'll come at the cost of you not seeing your charm bracelet again until the end of your stay here."

Rain cringed and Chris knew he had her. The charm bracelet had belonged to her beloved grandmother who had passed away when Rain turned eight. Leukemia. Her grandmother had left her the bracelet in her will and Rain had held the bracelet close to her ever since. She should've known better than to bring it with her to the island.

"You're a sick man, McClean," Rain said as she gestured to the woman, who had been holding the current note for a good minute and a half now (though Rain only heard fifteen seconds behind her plugged ears).

Chris smiled his sadistic smiled and said, "I know I am. Don't'cha love it?"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – McDonald's! Buh, duh, buh, buh, buh, I'm lovin' it!

-Rain gave the camera a confused look. "Does he really want me to answer that?"

* * *

Rain just rolled her eyes at Chris before she set her eyes once again on the woman. She had, thankfully, moved along from the previous note and had moved on to singing something so high that Rain couldn't make out the words.

"Oh, just kill me now," Rain muttered as she sunk low into her chair.

Chris smiled. "Be careful what you wish for," he smirked. Rain glared at him, and he quickly buttoned his lip.

Rain once again turned back to the woman onstage and cringed. Just two stinkin' minutes, she thought. Two stinkin' minutes.

**

* * *

**

Alex

Alex was working her way toward contorting her face into a permanent frown when she finally snapped. "Okay, that's it!" She yelled. She grabbed Daniel, who was still grinding against her, and threw him off the side of the stage; she turned to Wolf.

"It has to have been thirty minutes by now! It _has_ to have been!"

Wolf pulled his head from the bucket of popcorn and started at Alex. "You're still here?" He asked.

Alex shook her head in disbelief. "Of course I'm still here! I'm trying to get my final freakin' clue! Now as I said: It has to have been thirty minutes by now."

Wolf met Alex's frown with one of his own. He set the popcorn bucket down on the ground and then looked her in the eyes. "Alex… the thirty minutes was up about-" he checked his watch. "Another thirty minutes ago."

A silence overtook the amphitheater and the muscles in Alex's jaw clenched together. "Say that again?"

Wolf shrunk back in his seat, pondering just how upset Alex really was. "The thirty minutes was up about another thirty minutes ago."

Flames all but shot from Alex's mouth as she lunged at Wolf, arms outstretched and nostrils flaring. "YOU MEAN I'VE BEEN DANCING WITH DANIEL FOR A FREAKIN' _HOUR?!_"

Wolf tried to nod his head in agreement, but found it rather difficult with Alex's hands wrapped tightly around his neck.

Daniel ran toward his fellow Counselor and pried Alex's hands from his throat.

"Hey, hey, hey now!" Daniel cried, keeping a distance between Alex and Wolf with his short little arms. "Violence never solves anything. Except for this one time when violence turned out to be the only way to convince my sister's boyfriend to-"

"And _you_!" Alex shouted, looking ferociously at Daniel. "You and your friggin' little 'dance routine'! I ought'a kill you!"

Daniel chuckled nervously and he backed away slowly. "But you wouldn't, right?"

Alex shook her head. "Wrong."

The next sound to fill the amphitheater were Daniel's shrill, obnoxious screams as Alex chased him around the island. Wolf, meanwhile, just watched while munching on his popcorn.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Doesn't love its job as much as others

"I love this job," Wolf said as he threw a few popcorn kernels into his mouth.

**

* * *

**

Keala

Keala crept silently through the brush, tranquilizer gun ready and lip bit in anxiety. She had two more targets to go: Destiny and Christian, and she was currently looking for the former. She had spotted her a way's back, but didn't thought that Destiny would willingly let her shoot her, even if it were for the sake of the challenge.

"Stupid Chris," Keala heard Destiny say. "Has the nerve to make me sit through a freakin' cheerleader routine. He _knows_ how much I hate those bubble-brained, preppy bimbos!"

Keala peered from behind the bushes, catching Destiny in her line of sight. She saw Destiny heading toward the Mess Hall, and aimed the gun. "I'm sorry, Desitny,"

Keala pulled the trigger, but at the wrong time, for Jamie had just walked into her line of fire.

"Hey, Destiny," she heard him say before he let loose a small yelp. She heard a soft thud as Jamie fell to the dirt, and mentally cursed herself for not checking the area to see if anyone else had been around.

"Jamie!" She heard Destiny scream. Keala took the opportunity to fire the tranquilizer again and pulled back the trigger. Destiny yelped, too, as the dart embedded itself in her upper arm. The sedatives took affect, and she went tumbling to the ground alongside Jamie.

"One more," she said, and, as she had so many times before, scuttled away.

* * *

'**Christian'**

Christian bit his lip in frustration as he looked from the TV screen back to the DDR mat at his feet. He stomped mercilessly on the arrows as an upbeat techno song played from the television speakers. Kimmie stood on the mat next to his, and she was seriously kicking his ass at this game.

Come on Christian, he thought, you can beat her. Just focus on the arrows and press them at the right times. Easy, right?

"Christian, come on!" Kimmie yelled over the music as she stomped on the mat violently. "I want you to win this challenge as much as you do."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Not the best dancer

-"Am I the only one who finds it hard to believe that a Counselor from my rival team would want me to win?" Christian asked.

* * *

"Ah, give me a break!" Christian snapped. "I've never played this stupid game before."

Kimmie snorted. "Dude, what kid's never played DDR?"

Christian frowned at Kimmie. "I'd prefer it if you didn't refer to me as a 'kid'," he said, placing air quotes around the last word. "I'm every bit the adult you are if not more so."

"Well then let me rephrase," Kimmie said. "Who, by today's standards, hasn't played DDR by the time they reach adulthood?"

This drew another frown from Christian.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Dark Decrepit Restroom-stall (DDR)

-"I hate when people mess with me," Christian muttered.

-Kimmie laughed. "Dudes, that Christian kid needs to lighten up! I mean, he's only twelve, but he talks like a freaking 50-year-old."

* * *

"Whatever," Christian said, turning his attention back to the screen. He was pleased to see that his little conversation with Kimmie had distracted the Screaming Gophers Counselor long enough for Christian to sneak peeks at the TV screen and play the arrows well enough to tie his DDR score with her.

"What the crap?" Kimmie asked as she saw the scores. "How did-?"

She thought back to the conversation between her and Christian, and how his feet never stopped moving, while hers had. "You little cheater!" She shouted.

Christian shrugged his shoulders and said, "Nothing in the rules against that."

Kimmie was determined now; she was determined to beat the 12-year-old. She was determined to leave him in the dust and beat him at this game so bad that he would beg to be off this island. Or at least go crying to mommy, whichever.

Unbeknownst to the battling dancers, a certain leather-clad Bass girl was sneaking in the amphitheater's audience, an orange tranquilizer gun in her hands.

"Got'cha," Keala said as she aimed the gun at Christian. She fired a shot from her gun, and a dart came sailing out of the tip. The dart whipped through the air, spiraling and spiraling until eventually it came to a stop in Kimmie's right shoulder.

"YOW!" Kimmie cried. She reached to remove the dart, but the sedatives it held were extremely fast acting, and she keeled over the minute she attempted to move her body. Now sedated, Kimmie, much to Christian's delight, was registered unable to hit any of the arrows on her DDR pad.

"Yes!" Christian shouted as the letters on the TV screen declared him the winner of the DDR battle. He cheered loudly and wildly only to be stopped short when Keala fired a second dart at him. The dart embedded itself in Christian's lower back and the boy, just as Kimmie had moments before him, went plummeting to the ground.

"Done," Keala cheered before she tiptoed away from the amphitheater, leaving Kimmie and Christian unconscious on the ground.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Wouldn't trust Keala with its life

-"What?" Keala asked. "I didn't want to have to explain to Christian why I shot him in the back with a tranquilizer dart!"

* * *

**Lexie**

"Now this right here?" Lexie asked. "This is a whole new level of degrading." She gestured to the outfit she wore, an oversized chicken costumed that looked like it served part-time as a mascot for a fast food chain. The feathers were stained a dull brown from age and the chicken beak, which Lexie had pushed up to the top of her head, was missing its bottom half.

"Go on," Chris said as he patted Lexie's tail feathers. "Do the challenge."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – No longer wants KFC for dinner

-Lexie was crammed into the stall due to the chicken costume's immense size. However, the size of the confessional didn't do anything to make her stare any less angry. "That mamma's boy Chris better hope I win this contest. I didn't come here to be humiliated on the first day, and be voted out. Nuh-uh; no sir. I came to win!"

She itched at the feathers on her left wing. "Where did Chris even get this costume anyhow?"

* * *

Lexie sighed and pushed the broken beak down so that it rested on her nose. Then, she looked ahead at the group of nine Counselors, one co-hostess, and one lunatic chef. "Do I really gotta do this?" She wanted to know.

Chris shrugged his broad shoulders. "The decision is yours to make. However, if you don't complete the challenge, you don't get your final clue, and then you do get your friend 'Momo' back.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Free the Penguins!

-The vein in Lexie's neck jutted outwardly as she vented. "Okay… so far today, I've had to give that spoiled princess Kia a pedicure, help Chef bake Norma a batch of cookies – which caught on fire for the record! – Drag Chris' pampered butt from one end o' the isle to the other, donate more than half my own blood –which will no doubt be used for some twisted challenge later on – and a few other things that I'll just keep to myself.

* * *

"Now Chris expects me to go out there in front of the Counselors and do the chicken dance? _And_ hold my precious Momo hostage?!"

"Fine," Lexie said. "But if I do all this and my team loses, and then they decide to vote me out, you'd best head for the hills, 'cuz I will then be on your tail like an ox on a matador."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Toro, Toro!

-Chris gave the camera a confused look. "'Like an ox on a matador'?" He asked. "Who says something like that?"

* * *

Lexie inhaled deeply and walked onto the amphitheater's stage, a wave of laughter following shortly thereafter. The Chicken Dance started playing in the background as she performed the idiotic dance routine. She held her arms outward from her body as though they were wings and began flapping them like an idiot.

"Woo-hoo, go Lexie!" Daniel cheered from the front row as he dug his greedy little hands into Wolf's bucket of popcorn. Wolf glared at Daniel and tried to move the popcorn out of Daniel's reach, but the boy still managed to get to the popcorn anyway.

Lexie felt the heat rise to her face as Jaro and Reggie let out catcalls and Osairia took pictures with her camera phone. She could hear Chris laughing his pampered ass off behind her as she shook her tail feathers in a ridiculous fashion.

The dance continued for a good five minutes, and every single one of those minutes were filled with laughter and ridicule at poor Lexie's expense. But so came the consequences of signing up for a reality show with Chris McClean, one of the most sadistic men in Ontario, as the host.

"Okay, I think that's enough!" Chris called at the five-minute mark. He pressed 'STOP' on the CD player he'd been using and Lexie quickly ran offstage.

"You're gonna pay, McClean," she said as she began removing the chicken costume.

Chris just smiled and tossed her a wooden 'A' and a piece of folded red paper. "You know you enjoyed every minute of that," he smirked.

* * *

**Russell and Grace**

Grace and Russell ran screaming from the Wawanakwa cave, a rather large, rather angry bear following close behind.

"Russell thought Kimmie said the bear was sedated!" Russell hollered as he and Grace scuttled up the same tree Raphael had nearly an hour ago.

"It was!" Kimmie called from her spot on the ground. "But you guys took so long, I guess the sedatives wore off!"

Russell and Grace continued to scream as they ran rapidly into the forest, a bag of marshmallows tucked under Russell's arm, and the bear staring hungrily at them.

* * *

**Hillary**

Hillary laughed as she made a beeline for Chris' trailer, with nine wooden letters held tightly in her arms and a wave of angry Counselors following behind her. To none of their great surprise, she had managed to manipulate all of them into completing her nine tasks for her, and was now hurriedly on her way to collect her treasured necklace.

"Get back here you pampered Daddy's girl!" Daniel yelled as he tossed his shoe at her head.

But Hillary kept on running, and soon enough, the trailer was in view. She laughed even louder as she rapped loudly on Chris' door, eager to get inside.

"Hillary!" Chris smiled as she burst into his trailer. "Glad to see you figured out your final clue."

"Yeah, yeah," Hillary snapped. "Just tell me what the hell I need to do!"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Patience is a virtue

-Chris frowned. "Why is it that none of these kids have patience?"

* * *

"Okay, okay," Chris said. "Geesh, have some patience. For the final part of this challenge, you will need to…"

"CHRIS! OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!"

Chris and Hillary turned to the trailer door and saw Russell and Grace running toward them through the screen. Russell had a bag of marshmallows tucked under his arm, and a Wawanakwa bear was following close behind them, eyeing the treats with a look of pure desire.

"Dude!" Chris shouted. "Drop the marshmallows!"

But Russell and Grace ignored Chris and burst through the trailer door. They slammed the door behind them and the bear came to an abrupt stop as it slammed face-first into the trailer, which shook from the impact.

"Dude!" Chris yelled again. "Why did you keep the bag?"

Russell was panting heavily and couldn't seem to find enough breath to formulate a coherent response. Instead, all that came from his mouth were bits of drool and the words "bear", "Kimmie", "run fast" and for some odd reason "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".

Chris turned to Grace with one eyebrow raised. Grace got the gist of the raised eyebrow and acted as a translator for Russell. "What he means to say is, we were so startled by the bear, since Kimmie said he was heavily sedated when we went into his cave, that we took off running so fast and ended up forgetting we were holding on to the marshmallows."

"Oh," Chris said, feigning comprehension. But his eyebrow still remained raise as he said, "But why did he say 'Supercalifragilistic-blah-blah-blah'?"

Grace shrugged. "Why do we humans do most of the stuff we do?"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Not the best at riddles

-"Why can't any of these Campers ever give me a straight-forward answer?" Chris asked.

* * *

The trailer door burst open again and Raphael crashed to the floor, his faded blue sweatshirt covered in dust and grass stains and his hair even more mussed up than usual. His glasses were askew and he, like Russell and Grace, was panting heavily.

"Izzy?" Chris asked.

Raphael nodded and the crazed redhead crashed into the trailer door shortly thereafter. "Come on!" She shouted through barred teeth, a crazed look (even more crazed than usual) in her eyes. "Encore! Encore!!!!"

Raphael pulled Russell in front of him and whimpered. "M-make her go away," he begged.

Russell smiled sympathetically at the nerd and turned to Izzy. Then he shifted his eyes so that they were looking over Izzy's shoulder, clapped a hand to his head, and shouted, "Izzy should look! Russell sees the RCMP!"

Izzy's jade green eyes widened and she took off into the woods, running at full speed and shouting at the top of her lungs her trademark catchphrase, "YOU'LL NEVER GET ME ALIVE!", which was followed with a bout of insane laughter.

"Thank you," Raphael said to the Superman-emblem-bearing teen.

Russell flashed Raphael a pearly smile and said, "Russell says 'You are most welcome'."

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Chris rolled his beady eyes as he eyed the door. "Oh great. Now what?"

Ben and Peiton came running into the trailer with what appeared to be a large raccoon monster chasing them. The raccoons gnashed their teeth at the trailer's screen door and Chris screamed.

"They're gonna eat my trailer! They're gonna _eat my freakin' trailer_!"

Peiton smiled sadistically. "Aweeeeeesomeeeee!"

Ben gave his sister a look of concern. "No!" He shouted. "Not cool, because we're in the trailer!"

Peiton shrugged. "Oh well; we had a good run." She turned to the others. "And I'm sure you guys did, too."

"Chris McClean!" A voice boomed throughout the forest, startling the raccoons and causing them to scatter off in multiple directions.

Alice nearly knocked the door off its hinges as she kicked it open and stomped over to the frightened host. She grabbed him by his shirt collar and pressed her face close against his.

"Where is it?!" She asked. "Where is my journal?!"

Chris let a girly squeak escaped Chris' lips as Alice began to shake him fiercely. "Well?!" She demanded.

"If you'd let me down, I could tell you the answer."

Alice immediately dropped the host, who then sunk to the floor in a heap of expensive clothing and way-too-pampered hair.

"I suppose I deserved that for not emphasizing the fact that I wanted you to let me down _gently_, but I digress. As I was saying…"

"GYAAH!"

"Of course," Chris muttered as Derek came bounding into the trailer, a pile of purple God-knows-what following close behind him. Peiton caught sight of the slop and a second smile spread over her face.

"That is so _cool_!" She yelled. "I knew that Chef's food was disgusting, but I didn't know it could move!" She lunged at the slop, which, upon seeing the frightening look in Peiton's eyes, slithered away. Peiton frowned in disappointment at having not caught her prey.

Alice turned back toward Chris who shook his head. "Nuh-uh," he said. "I ain't gonna be interrupted again. I'm waiting for a few more Campers to show before I start my explanation."

The eight Campers waited impatiently for their competition arrived. Within four minutes, Mitch, Alex, Christian, Even, Ashlynn, Keala (who dragged in a sedated Destiny), and Jordan showed up, followed by Rain, who was covered in what Chris hoped wasn't blood and was wearing a broken Viking helmet on her head of black and red rivers.

"Well, I think that's enough waiting," Chris said as Lexie came into the trailer, muttering something about "chickens" and "Colonel Sanders". "For the final part of your challenge, you must use the nine letters you have received to spell out a word."

Hillary grimaced. "What kind of idiotic, and most likely unrealistic, word can we spell with these letters?"

Chris smiled. "Figure it out. And figure it out ON YOUR OWN."

Alberto came into the trailer and looked at Chris. "What'd I miss?" He asked while scratching his head of short, brown hair.

Chris only got halfway through explaining the final part of the challenge before Peiton popped up by his side. "Done!" She shouted, nearly shattering the eardrums of everyone in the trailer.

Chris laughed. "Yeah, right, hun," Chris laughed. "It took forever for Kia to figure out what the letters spelt. I doubt that you-"

"Wawanakwa," Peiton whispered, low enough for only Chris to hear.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall - Not Crazy!

-"Oh, come on!" Chris yelled. "How is it that we keep getting the crazy girls who seem to figure out the challenges before anyone else?!"

* * *

Chris frowned. "Was I right?" Peiton asked.

"…yes…"

Peiton let loose a 'whoot' and pumped her fist into the air. "I am victorious!" She shouted and she suspiciously began to hang in midair in a rather cartoon-like fashion.

Chris frowned at the strange goings-on, but regardless, turned to the crazy girl and said, "Yeah, good for you," though the sarcasm was rather obvious. He turned to his right and pressed a bright green button that was screwed into the wall. The button blinked and the far east wall of Chris' trailer slowly folded upward, revealing twenty-four metal lockers, each with the name of a Camper on it.

Chris walked to the one that said 'PEITON' on it in big block letters and gave the lock on it a single twist. The locker popped open with a hiss, and Chris pulled a gold necklace out from the top shelf.

"There," he said. "There's your cheesy necklace. You can go wait in the Mess Hall until the challenge is over."

Peiton giggled maniacally before bouncing out the trailer, toward the mess hall.

Chris turned back to the other Campers and said, "Hurry up, Campers; you've only got 5 minutes left."

Rain came up next with a rather interesting solution; she had broken the letters into bits so that they could be arranged to spell out "Chris McClean: 1986 – 2008"

Chris gulped nervously and stammered, "Y-you pass."

Rain smiled and turned toward her designated locker, dumping the letters into a trashcan on the way out of the trailer as she passed Raphael. The nerd silently arranged the letters in the proper order at Chris' feet, and Chris gave him an approving nod.

Even was trying to piece together his letters when he noticed something, or rather someone, that was missing. "Wait; why are there only nine Screaming Gophers?"

Ashlynn, who had been working with Even, looked up from her jumble of letters. "Excuse me?"

"There's only nine of us; where are the other three?"

Ashlynn looked around the trailer and she frowned. "Chris?" She asked. "Where are Phoebe, Jamie, and Jack?"

Chris motioned Ben and Alberto in the direction of their lockers before he shrugged his broad shoulders. "Beats me," he said. "But they'd better hurry up and get in here if they plan on winning this challenge."

As if on cue, Jamie and Phoebe entered the trailer, swaying back and forth like holiday drunks. The two of them, albeit rivals, were leaning against each other for support, and grasping each other in an awkward hug.

"Guys!" Even shouted at the duo. "Where have you been?"

Jamie, being the more conscious one of the two, answered. "Keala… darts… no bueno."

Even turned to Keala who blushed as red as her leather jacket. "It was a part of my challenge," she explained.

Even then turned to Chris, who simply said, "I ran out of ideas **(A/N: So did the author of this story)**."

"So you had Keala shoot them with _darts_?!"

"Uh-huh!"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Prefers paintball guns over tranquilizers

-"Does Chris really care that little about our safety?" Even asked.

-"Hey!" Chris shouted. "I had Keala shoot two members of her own team to even the score! Granted, she ended up shooting three Screaming Gophers and one crocodile by accident, but my point still rests!"

* * *

"What were you thinking, man?!" Even cried. "You can't just tell people to go around shooting others!"

Chris shrugged. "Ah well; what's done is done. Now if I were you, I'd quit wasting time on this argument, since you know you won't win, and get back to solving the final part of this challenge!"

"But what about Phoebe and Jamie?" Ashlynn asked as she presented Chris with the correct spelling of 'Wawanakwa'. "They're far too out of it to complete the challenge!"

"Not my problem," Chris said. "Blame Keala. If she'd completed her other challenges faster, she could've shot Jamie and Phoebe sooner, and they wouldn't still be zonked out."

Keala flipped Chris the bird as she walked to her locker, having already spelt out 'Wawanakwa' alongside Lexie and Hillary.

"You're an ass, Chris," she said. "You know that?" She pulled her sketchpad from the locker and hugged it tightly to her chest.

"Momo!" Lexie cried, pulling a stuffed penguin from the depths of the locker. "Mommy's so sorry she let that bad man get you! But I promise, I'll never let anything like that happen again!"

Hillary clipped her diamond 'H' necklace around her neck and laughed. "How immature," she sneered. "You still carry a stuffed animal around!"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Doesn't have a secret collection of Beanie Babies…

-"That girl better watch herself," Lexie said as she held Momo tightly in her lap. "Momo ain't just any stuffed animal!"

* * *

"Three minutes left, Campers," Chris said as Even removed a beaded bracelet from his locker; the bracelet was a token of friendship from his elementary school buddy long ago.

Russell, Grace, Jordan, and Shaya had already gathered their items for the Gophers (Russell's dog's collar, Grace's wolf necklace and cherished bracelets, Jordan's autographed photo of the TDI, Season 1 Cast, and Shaya's photo album), while Josh and Christian collected their chess tournament trophy and valued emerald respectively. The six teens had left for the Mess Hall, leaving only Alex, Jamie, Derek, Destiny (who was still unconscious), Alice, Phoebe, Ashlynn, and Mitch in the trailer.

"Done!" Alex and Mitch cried at the exact same time.

Chris gave the two of them a nod and they ran to their lockers. Alex was overjoyed to be reunited with her stuffed panda, while Mitch held a pink button-up shirt close to him and smiled.

"There's one player left for the Bass and four Gophers still remain! Will this season be the opposite of the last? Will the Screaming Gophers actually be the first ones to send someone home?"

Alice glared at Chris. "Shut it, McClean," she said. She kicked the letters at Chris and stomped toward her locker, pulling her journal and 'Twilight' copy out in a huff before she bounded out the trailer's front door.

"Seriously!" Ashlynn yelled. "How do you expect Jamie and Phoebe to do this? They're still sedated!"

Indeed, Jamie and Phoebe were both in La-la Land with twin trails of drool running from their mouths. Jamie made an attempt to move his letters around, but felt his fingers were still too numb to do so.

"Dunno," Chris said. "But you better pray that they finish, because Derek just completed his puzzle."

Derek smirked as he snatched up his pocketknife from the locker's floor. Then he turned to Ashlynn and said, "Good luck," before walking out the trailer.

"Wawanakwa, right?" Ashlynn asked, moving out of the way to show Chris the letters.

"Good girl," Chris joked, earning him a slap upside the head before Ashlynn turned to her locker. She turned the lock and pulled out her necklace, which she quickly fastened around her neck.

"One member for the Bass and three for the Gophers, and only a minute and a half left."

"Three Gophers?" Ashlynn asked. "There's only Jamie and Phoebe."

"But you're forgetting," Chris said. "Jack never showed up."

Ashlynn looked at Jack's locker, one of the remaining four that remained unopened. Then she looked at the floor of the trailer and found Jack nowhere in sight. "Crap," she said. "Was Keala supposed to shoot him, too?"

Chris nodded. "Yep. My guess is that-"

Jack walked dizzily into the trailer, dart still in his butt, and collapsed beside Phoebe and Jamie. Eight wooden letters fell from his pockets and he struggled to move them, spelling 'Wawa' out in only a few seconds.

"Well, if the three of them can pull this off, it looks like the Killer Bass will be sending someone home tonight," Chris smiled. "My guess is that it'll probably be Keala if anyone. But hey, I've been wrong before."

Jack still continued to shuffle his letters and managed to spell out 'Wawanakw', but realized that he was missing a fourth 'A'.

"Where's my A?" He grumbled.

Ashlynn looked at him. "What?"

"My A," he said again. "Where is it?"

Ashlynn looked about Jack but couldn't locate a fourth 'A'. "Didn't you complete all your challenges?"

Jack's mind flashed back to his battle with Cujo and remember how he'd walked away (sedated) before he finished.

"Dammit," he muttered.

"Oooh, that sucks," Chris laughed. "And there's only thirty seconds left. If Phoebe and Jamie manage to wake up and spell Wawanakwa, you'll at least have a tied score."

"And what will that mean?" Ashlynn asked.

Chris shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. A lot of the nerds on seem to think that if the two teams tie, both teams lose a member. I guess we could just do that."

Ashlynn groaned. She had been hoping Chris would say 'there would be a do-over', but sadly, that was just not the way the sadist worked.

"Ten seconds," Chris said. "Nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two…"

"Wawanakwa," Jamie said.

Chris looked at the cynic. "Say what?" He asked.

Jamie pointed to the two sets of letters that lay before him and Phoebe. Both had been arranged to spell out 'Wawanakwa'.

Ashlynn smiled. "All right, Jamie! You tied the score! We won't be the only ones sending someone home tonight!"

"Ah, ah, ah," Chris said. "That's not entirely true."

Ashlynn looked at the host, a look of fear on her face. "Oh, no," she said. "Don't tell me…"

"Jamie managed to score a point for you guys by arranging his letters correctly, which means he also gets his camera back.

"_However…_ Jamie also arranged Phoebe's letters for her, so technically she didn't figure it out on her own. And that means that Phoebe is disqualified."

Ashlynn's face fell. "You're kidding me, right?"

Chris shook his head. "Nope. She's out, which means I'll be seeing you and your team at the bonfire tonight. You may want to tell them the news…"

Ashlynn sighed.

**

* * *

**

A/N: Chris that devil bastard! Making the Screaming Gophers lose! :(

**Sorry to anyone I placed on the Screaming Gophers; you guys will be losing one member at the first ceremony.**

**And also, sorry for the poor quality of this chapter. I ran out of ideas halfway through…**

**By the way, the song that I had Raphael sing was 'Goodbye' from "I Love You Because" (A Modern Day Musical Love Story)**

**THE EVER-ANNOYING END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS!!!!!!!**

**1) Who was the strange girl watching Raphael sing?  
2) Who will the Gophers be sending home?  
3) Will Phoebe be able to cope with the fact that she won't be able to reclaim her mother's surfboard?  
4) How long will it take for those freaking sedatives to wear off of Jack, Jamie, Phoebe, and Destiny? I mean, Christian's already wore off!  
5) WHY AM I GIVING YOU ALL THESE IDIOTIC QUESTIONS?!?**


	11. Treasure Seekers, the Bonfire

**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action, or anything associated with it. The only things I own are the plot of this story and the characters Derek, Hillary, Jamie, Mitch, Daniel, and Norma. All other characters were submitted by authors on this site.**

* * *

The Screaming Gophers were gathered in the boys' cabin, sitting under a blanket of heavy silence. The Gophers had originally intended on holding their meeting in the girls' cabin, but Phoebe had completely destroyed it after learning she hadn't earned her mother's surfboard back. However, the point still remained that someone was going home tonight, and they still weren't sure whom.

"So who are we voting off?" Shaya asked from her spot between Raphael and Alice.

The former of Shaya's two teammates shrugged and pulled out his clipboard. 'Beats me', he wrote in green Sharpie.

Phoebe snarled at Raphael's sense of communication. "I say we vote him out," she said as she gestured to the nerd.

"Raphael?" Alice asked. "Why in the name of Cullen would you vote him out?"

"First off, he's a weakling," Phoebe explained. "Second, he doesn't talk, and this competition requires us to have a verbal sense of communication. Third, whenever he _does_ talk, it's to himself, or it's only a two-word sentence."

"Okay," Jamie said, coming to his friend's aid. "Those being your reasons for voting out Raphael, here are my reasons we should vote _you_ out."

Phoebe looked shocked at the mention of being voted for. "Heh," she laughed. "Like you have a decent reason to vote for me other than saving your wimpy friend."

"I'm right here," Raphael said.

"He speaks!" Peiton joked, though she found that the joke was not suitable for the current situation.

"While you may be right in saying that I'd vote you to save Raphael, I do have other reasons," Jamie said. "Firstly, you're pigheaded."

Phoebe snarled, but Shaya and Ashlynn couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Secondly, your anger has gotten the better of you more than once in the short twenty-four hours you've been here. Thirdly, it's rather obvious you can't be all that bright if you're planning on voting Raphael, as he's one of the smarter members on this team."

Alice frowned at Jamie's words and cynical attitude. "Jamie, you don't have to be so brutal," she said.

"Says the obsessive Twilight fan girl," Jamie snapped. "Another candidate for elimination!"

Alice's jaw dropped, along with just about everyone else in the cabin. "_Me_?" She asked. "Why _me_?"

Jamie chuckled. "I doubt that if you spend all your time obsessing over a fictional character, you'll be of much use to us in future challenges. You nearly throttled Chris just for taking your book, which, might I add, is about nothing but stereotypical teenage girls and Mary-Sue-like mythical creatures."

"Dude," Even said. "Back off; she didn't do anything to you!"

"And we have yet another possible choice for elimination: the air-headed party boy."

"Hehe," Alice giggled. "That's what Osairia said."

Jamie rolled his chocolate eyes. "I could go on about reasons to eliminate the lot of you, save for Raphael and Ashlynn, but I have to cast my vote. You children can figure out who to vote for on your own."

Jamie walked out of the cabin, leaving his other teammates behind. "We should vote him out," Even said. "He was the reason, after all, that we lost the challenge."

Ashlynn shook her head. "He's an ass," she agreed. "But he wasn't around to hear Chris explain the rules."

"Neither was Phoebe," Even said. "But _she_ didn't break the rules."

"Of course she didn't," Mitch countered. "She was sedated the whole freakin' time."

Even shrugged. "Whatever," he said. Then he turned to Jordan, Raphael, Phoebe, and Jack. "You guys are with me, right? We vote for Jamie?"

Phoebe and Jordan wasted no time to nod. "Totally," Jordan said.

"Agreed," Phoebe nodded.

"Excellent," Even smiled. He once again turned to Raphael and Jack. "What about you two?"

Raphael didn't speak, instead standing up and leaving for the Confessional Stall to cast his vote.

"I'm taking that as a 'yes'," Even said. "Jack?"

Jack looked at Even and nodded. "Yeah, sure."

* * *

**Confessional Stall – Doom, de doom, doom, DOOM!**

-Even shook his head at the camera and looked up with half-lidded eyes. "Dude, that Jamie's just not doing himself any justice. I gotta vote for him."

-"Who am I voting for?" Peiton asked. "Well, Jamie said to vote Phoebe out, since she's kinda psychotic. And while she called me a 'Crazy Loon' earlier, she really hasn't done anything _really_ worth my vote, so I'm going to have to say I vote off Jamie."

-Ashlynn held a picture of Phoebe in her hands and held it to the camera. "While I agree that Jamie's a good choice for elimination for being such an ass, he made some good points. Phoebe has been way worse. Have you tried sharing a cabin with her?

"Plus, as I said before, Jamie didn't know he was breaking the rules."

-Jack sighed and looked down at the floor. "To be honest, I'm not really sure who to vote for. I mean, I like Jamie, but he's been nothing but an ass to me. And I also like Phoebe, but she's a little… well… you get the point."

-Jamie crossed his arms defensively over his chest and huffed. "I'm sticking to what I said and voting for Phoebe. The girl is far too headstrong, and needs to learn to control herself. Plus, I swear I saw her stabbing a Chris plushie with a spork earlier. That's just not normal."

-"Jamie," Phoebe simply said.

-Shaya rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

-Raphael brought his green Sharpie to his clipboard and wrote a name on it. He brought it up to show the camera, but it cut out to static before he could do so.

* * *

**The Bonfire Ceremony**

The Screaming Gophers sat anxiously in front of the blazing fire. Chris held a silver dish with eleven Jumbo marshmallows in front of them as he grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

"Before me sit twelve Campers," he said. "But I only have eleven signs of safety. You've all cast your votes for your favorite loser, and have succeeded in kicking one of your teammates out of this competition. When I call your name, please come claim your marshmallow and stand behind me.

"The one Camper who doesn't receive a marshmallow must immediately pack their bags, walk down the Dock of Shame, catch a ride on the Boat of Losers, and leave Camp Wawanakwa. And then, you can never come back. _Ever._"

"You mean like how Izzy and Eva came back after Harold was voted off?" Phoebe asked.

"This is different!" Chris shouted.

He grazed his fingers lightly over the marshmallows and grabbed three in his hand at once.

"Jack, Even, and Ashlynn," he said. "Congratulations; the three of you are safe."

The three Gophers smiled at one another and stood up from their seats. They walked toward Chris and brought their designated marshmallow to their mouths, swallowing them whole.

"Alice."

Alice beamed and walked to join the other three.

"This one's for you, Edward!" She yelled as she devoured the marshmallow. Chris laughed and Jamie scowled.

"Shaya and Peiton, Jordan and Mitch."

The four walked toward the others.

"Four Campers, three marshmallows."

Grace and Raphael exchanged worried glances with one another, but then turned back to Chris in time to hear him utter "Grace."

"Oh thank God," Grace sighed, nearly bolting toward the marshmallow extended toward her.

"Glad to see you back for another week, Grace," Chris smiled, and then turned toward the remaining three Gophers. "The three of you all have good reasons for being in the bottom three tonight. However, for two of you, the votes were in your favor. For one of you, you'll have reservations at the Playa de Losers."

"Would you just hurry up and vote Jamie off already?!" Even cried.

"Don't rush me, dude!" Chris scolded. "These dramatic statements and pauses blow ratings through the roof!"

Even sighed, but allowed Chris to continue on regardless.

"The next Camper safe from elimination is…"

"Raphael."

Raphael let out a sigh and walked toward the other nine Gophers. He smiled as he slid by Jack and Jordan, both of whom high-fived him and patted him harshly on the back.

"Phoebe, Jamie," Chris said, drawing the other Gophers back to attention. "I only have one marshmallow left on this plate, and that marshmallow belongs to the final Camper that will be saved from elimination tonight. The two of you both scored a lot of votes against you, and now that they've been tallied, the first Camper who will be leaving Camp Wawanakwa tonight is…

.

.

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Phoebe."

Phoebe's face fell and Jamie nearly fell off his seat as Chris threw a marshmallow at him. The Screaming Gophers looked shocked at the two of them, and Even let out a loud groan.

"You mean you guys voted for Phoebe instead of Jamie?!" He hollered, tugging harshly on his golden hair. "How could you do that?! Jamie, that ass, was the one you should've voted for!"

Shaya stepped forward slightly and looked at Even. "But you see, Even," she said. "Exactly half of this team is made up of girls, or 'was', I should say now that Phoebe's been eliminated."

Phoebe frowned from her seat. "You know, I'm still here."

"Right," Shaya nodded. "Sorry. Anyway, as I was saying: exactly half of this team is made up of girls, and while most of us will admit that Jamie displayed despicable behavior, many of us girls felt that Jamie brought about some good points."

Phoebe harrumphed at Shaya, but then gave a sharp flick of her wrist. "You know what?" She snapped. "Whatever. See if I care that you guys chose to keep the cynical weakling rather than me! Good luck with the remaining challenges, 'cuz you just voted out one of the strongest and fiercest competitors!"

Chris smiled at the fuming punk. "This job just doesn't get old," he whispered to the camera. "Anyway, Phoebe, the Dock of Shame awaits for you to grace it with your presence."

"Whatever," Phoebe said again. "Just give me a second to get my bags, and I'll-"

"Chef Hatchet and I have already loaded your bags onto the Boat of Losers."

Phoebe glared at the host, not too pleased with being interrupted. "Whatever," she growled, and walked off toward the Dock of Shame.

"Hey," a voice called, stopping Phoebe from walking any further. She turned to see Raphael standing behind her, arms drawn up to his chest as he clung to his clipboard for dear life. Chris and her teammates had already cleared the area and were nowhere to be seen.

Phoebe gave a hearty laugh. "Well, if it ain't the lil' scaredy cat," she sneered. "What're you doing here? Come to rub the fact that I was the first voted off in my face?"

Raphael stared at his feet and shuffled around uncomfortably. "A-actually," he stuttered, not making eye contact. "I came to say 'sorry'."

Phoebe felt her lip curl up over her teeth. "You voted me off, didn't you?" She yelled, grabbing Raphael by the front of his sweater and lifting him off the dock.

Raphael paled and dropped his clipboard; he started sweating as Phoebe shook him violently. "Well?!" She asked. "Did you!"

"N-n-no!" He choked out.

"I don't believe you…"

"No! I sw-swear I didn't!"

Phoebe dropped the stuttering Raphael to the ground and prodded his quivering form with her Converse-clad foot. "Well then what else would you be apologizing for?" She wanted to know.

Raphael struggled to find his voice. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry you had to go this way," he said. "But you have to understand that the people who voted you out-"

"Did it because of that little prick," Phoebe spat.

Raphael shook his head. "Don't say that about Jamie, please," he begged. "He's really not a bad guy."

Phoebe laughed. "Easy for your scrawny butt to say! You didn't get the boot!"

"I know," Raphael nodded. "But if it's anything to you, I voted myself out in hopes that neither you nor Jamie would be eliminated."

Phoebe looked genuinely surprised at hearing this. Why would Raphael, who she had so viciously targeted, vote himself off in her stead? She wondered.

"Well, I'd better get back to the cabins," Raphael said. "The others are probably wondering where I snuck off to.

"…enjoy the Playa de Losers."

The nerd dipped his head to Phoebe before walking back in the direction of the cabins, leaving a very stunned eliminated Camper on the Dock of Shame.

"Hey, you!" Chef Hatchet yelled from the Boat of Losers, dragging Phoebe back to reality. "Hurry ya scrawny butt up! I ain't got all night to wait for ya!"

"Oh shove it!" Phoebe yelled, startling the burly man. "Just drive for the Playa de Losers!"

"I don't get paid 'nough for this," Chef Hatchet muttered. But with a flick of his wrist, he had the Boat of Losers started up and treading through the murky water.

It was only when the boat was a good 50 feet away from the Dock of Shame did Phoebe notice something missing. "Wait a minute!" She cried, searching frantically around the boat. "Where's my mother's surfboard?!"

Chef Hatchet frowned and looked at Phoebe. "Ain't you got it?" He asked her.

Phoebe's face paled. "No! Oh my God! How did… where did…" And Phoebe stopped mid-sentence as she realized just where her surfboard was. "CHRIS!"

* * *

**Confessional Stall – Chris is one sick ticket**

-Chris sat with Phoebe's beloved surfboard in his lap, stroking the glossy surface of it delicately with his fingers. "Yep," he grinned at the camera. "I'm just _that_ screwed up."

**

* * *

**

A/N: I apologize to Dreamer-by-Day, but Phoebe is the 1**st**** Camper to walk the Dock of Shame.**

**And I also offer my apologies to Sonowa if that scene with Phoebe displeased you. I just wanted Phoebe to make somewhat of a connection with one of her (ex) teammates before she left.**

**I would also like to say that 'No, Jamie is not going to win, as I think that would be narcissistic.' How far he makes it though, is still under debate. I have established when 17 of the 24 Campers will be voted out. The only ones that are still under debate are Alex, Alice, Hillary, Jamie, Mitch, Peiton, and Raphael, so if your character is not listed, please do _not_ whine about how 'your character was unfairly voted out'. This is Total _Drama_ Island.**

**Finally, I would like to ask you this: Should I actually continue this story? I mean, it's gone pretty downhill from when it started, which wasn't that great to begin with. Please send me a PM giving me your honest opinion.**

* * *

**Votes**

Alice **(Jamie)**

Ashlynn **(Phoebe)**

Even **(Jamie)**

Grace **(Phoebe)**

Jack **(Phoebe)**

Jamie **(Phoebe)**

Jordan **(Jamie)**

Mitch **(Phoebe)**

Peiton **(Jamie)**

Raphael **(Raphael)**

Shaya **(Phoebe)**

Phoebe **(Jamie)**

Raphael (1)

Jamie (5)

Phoebe (6)

**Eliminated:** Phoebe


	12. Have a Wawanakwa Christmas, Part 1

**Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own Total Drama Island. If I did, do you **_**really**_** think that Gwen and Owen would've made it to the Final Two?**

**By the way, excuse this challenge and how Christmas-based it is. I came up with the idea a few weeks before Christmas, but was unable to finish the first challenge in time to post this.**

**Also, I apologize to Sonowa if this challenge bears too far a resemblance to your 'The Spirit of Giving' challenge.**

**I also do not own the characters Alberto, Alexandra 'Alex', Alice, Ashlynn, Ben, Chris 'Christian', Destiny, Even, Grace, Jack, Jordan, Josh, Keala, Lexie, Peiton, Phoebe, Rain, Raphael, Russell, Ariane, Jasmine, Jaro, Jessica, Kimmy, Osairia, Reggie, Wolf, or Kia.**

* * *

Chris stood once again on the infamous Dock of Shame, dressed in only a pair of swim trunks that did not go at all with the crystal snow that danced around him. He shivered uncontrollably as he looked into the camera lens and started the episode introduction.

"H-h-h-hello," he shivered. "And welcome b-b-back to T-total Dram-ma Isl-land, Season T-t-t-t-two! Last week, y-you got t-to see the C-campers-s-s particip-pate in a Treasure Hunt to f-find their most valued p-possess-sions in only an hour's t-time. B-but, in order to do s-s-so, they were forced t-to complete nine g-gruesome tasks.

"The K-killer B-b-bass kicked some major G-gopher butt as elev-ven of their t-tw-twelve teammates, sans Destiny, were a-able to f-find and re-recl-claim their valuables.

"B-but, as with every c-competition, there were t-t-t-twelve teenage _losers-s-s_ that K-kia and I like t-to call the Sc-screaming Gop-phers. Only thr-three Camp-campers received v-votes off-ff-ff the island: J-jamie, Phoebe, and R-ra-raphael.

"While Jamie w-was a total d-dick to a majority of his t-t-teammates, Ph-phoebe managed to r-r-rack up the m-mo-most votes due to h-her anger issues, and was c-conse-consequently the f-f-first Camper v-voted off-f-f the island."

A girl with pixie-styled, mousy brown hair suddenly threw herself into the camera's view and latched herself onto Chris, almost smothering him with her multiple layers of winter clothing. "Hi-ya, Chrissie!" The strange girl shouted.

"Oh, right," Chris said, slapping a manicured hand to his forehead. "F-for those of you wh-who ar-r-re wondering just wh-who this girl is, this is B-br-bryce. You m-m-may have se-een her in the p-p-pr-previous episode; s-sh-she was the brunette w-watching Raphael s-s-sing."

"Hi!" Bryce screamed at the camera and then proceeded to run in circles around the freezing TV show host.

"Riiiight," Chris droned as he slowly began to turn blue. "B-bryce is going to b-be fil-filling in f-for me for a few d-days while K-ki-kia and I ar-are off to V-vancouver to get h-hi-hitched, and the-then t-to sun-sunny California f-fo-for our honey-honeymoon."

Kia, too, suddenly popped up beside Chris. "Chrissie, baby," she cooed. "Must you talk about our marriage plans so casually? I mean, 'hitched'?"

Chris' face turned purple, no doubt a result of a scarlet blush mixing with his cerulean face. "S-s-sorry, babe," he said, frowning.

"It's okay," Kia laughed, as she snuck her arm around Chris' waist. "The ring does more than enough to make up for it."

Chris tried to laugh off the fact that the ring was more expensive than the price of all three of his beach houses combined, but found himself unable to do so.

"Now are you ready for a brand new episode?!" Bryce shouted, pushing her way in between Kia and Chris. "If you are, then sit back, relax, and ponder these questions:

"What will the challenge be today?

"Which Camper will be next to get the axe?

"Why the hell is it snowing in the middle of July?!

"And most importantly: Why am I giving you all of these idiotic questions?

"Find out today! On Total… Drama… Island, Season 2!" Bryce shouted as she pushed Chris into the frozen lake.

_Theme song, and…_

* * *

The Campers shivered inside their cabins as they wrapped the paper-thin blankets around their quaking bodies. The snow (which was still left unexplained) drifted through the cracked cabin windows and came to a rest on the wooden floors, causing the temperature inside the cabins to drop.

"Why the fuck is it _snowing_ in the middle of July?" Jamie asked, burying himself deeper into his blanket.

None of his fellow Gophers answered him, obviously upset with the results of campfire ceremony three nights ago. Sure Jamie would admit that he had been harsher than necessary, but still felt that that didn't give his comrades any reason to vote him out. Hell, Gwen made it into the Final Two last season, and she was far bitchier than he was!

"Are you five honestly planning on ignoring me for the rest of this competition?" He asked.

None of the five boys replied.

"All right," he scoffed. "See if I care. So what if a majority of these challenges rely on team communication, right? I'm sure that you guys will do just fine without associating with one of this team's brightest members."

And with that, Jamie threw back the blanket and jumped from his bunk and onto the floor. Being one of the shortest Campers, Jamie had to stand on tiptoe in order to make his bunk, much to the amusement of the other boys in the cabin. Once he felt his bed looked presentable, he donned his green high topped Converse and gray hoodie, and walked out the door into the merciless snow storm that waited outside.

"GOOD MORNING CAMPERS!" Bryce called over the P.A. system, shaking the Campers from their beds and startling the few Campers who were actually sleeping awake. "As I'm sure you've all noticed," Bryce continued. "It's snowing!"

"No shit, Sherlock," Hillary muttered and then proceeded to pull her blanket over her head.

"Now, it just wouldn't be right to let this snow day go unexploited, would it?!"

Ashlynn sighed from under her blanket. "Oh, great, here it comes…"

"SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE A WINTER-BASED CHALLENGE!"

"And there it is," Ashlynn frowned as she crawled sluggishly from under her covers and walked toward the dresser that was pressed against the cabin's back wall.

"SO GET YOUR LAZY BUTTS OUTTA BED!" Bryce continued. "AND HEAD ON OVER TO THE MESS HALL FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING TODAY'S CHALLENGE!"

On that note, Bryce flipped the P.A. system off.

"Well, this ought'a be fun," Rain said, her voice thick with dread. She jumped out of her bed and pulled the blanket down with her. She got to her knees and pulled from under her bunk a black duffel bag, which looked like it had survived World Wars I and II.

She rummaged around in the duffel bag for a minute before pulling out a simple black tank top and red plaid skirt, along with black nylons and a studded belt. She gathered the articles in her arms and walked off toward the communal washrooms.

She came back minutes later, outfit still the same as when she left. "Guess the pipes are frozen," she said, shrugging out of her dull gray nightgown. The gown fell softly to the floor and she quickly pulled her skirt up her bare legs, leaving her at least half dressed.

"And you couldn't change in the communal washrooms, why?" Hillary asked as she too dragged herself from her bed.

"Believe or not," Rain said as she now began pulling her nylons on. "The cabin is actually warmer than the washrooms. If I'd stayed in the washrooms any longer, I'd have frozen."

"And it would be for the better, I'm sure," Hillary said, earning herself a slap upside the head from Lexie.

"Girl, you walk around with your nose turned up at us any longer and I'll kill you while you sleep."

Hillary tossed her wavy blond hair over her shoulder and laughed. "Yeah, right," she said. "I told you; I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

"You wanna bet on that, you spoiled princess?" Lexie asked.

"Bring it you big-mouthed, Leshawna knockoff!"

Destiny frowned at the little argument going on between her teammates and tossed her brick-hard pillow at them. "Guys, not now," she snapped. She pulled her blankets up to her shoulders and turned so that her back was facing them. "I'm trying to sleep."

"How can you sleep?" Hillary asked, sounding genuinely shocked. "We've got a challenge to complete!"

Destiny turned back to face the blond. "As if we're gonna start it so early."

"CAMPERS!" Bryce called again. "GET OVER TO THE MESS HALL _NOW_!"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Hates irony as much as the next guy… er… stall?

-Destiny shook her head. "Boy, talk about irony," she muttered.

* * *

Hillary smiled smugly at Destiny. "You heard 'em," she grinned. "Get to the mess hall _now_!" She turned to the still sleeping Alex and Keala.

"Leave them be," Destiny said.

Hillary threw her another smug smile as she yanked the blankets off of Alex and Keala's sleeping forms. "WAKE UP!" She yelled, kicking their bunk bed hard with her heel.

The two girls jumped in their beds, Keala hitting her head on Alex's bunk as she jerked upright.

"Ow!" She cried. She rubbed her head gently, trying to ease the pain that shot through her cranium. The pain starting to dull (and a lump beginning to form), Keala turned her attention toward Hillary.

"What the hell, Hillary?" She asked.

"Who, me?" Hillary asked, feigning innocence. "I did absolutely nothing! It was all Destiny!"

"You do realize I'm still in my bed, right?" Destiny asked. "Next time you attempt to frame someone, make sure they're not still sleeping."

Hillary sniffed in a nose full of musty air. "Whatever," she said.

She stalked off in the direction of the communal restrooms, day clothes in her arms, only to return minutes later just as Rain had. "Okay," she said. "Maybe the freaky punk-ballerina chick was right."

"Ballerina?" Rain quoted. "What about me says 'ballerina' to you?"

"That skirt," Hillary said.

Rain looked herself over and paid close attention to the skirt. "It's just red plaid."

When Hillary didn't respond, Rain smirked and turned toward Alex, who, although awake, was still lying on her bed, eyes locked with the hole filled ceiling.

"Al," she said as she gave her teammate a small nudge. "Alex?"

Alex turned her head so that it was facing Rain. "Huh?" She asked.

"It's time to get outta bed. We got a challenge."

Alex looked around the cabin to see that Rain and the rest of her female teammates, save for Keala, were dressed for the day. "Oops," she said. "Sorry. Guess I'm still not entirely awake."

Rain ruffled Alex's head of mousy hair. "It's fine, Al," she said. "But you and Keala may wanna get up. The next challenge starts soon."

Alex nodded and rolled out of her bunk bed, onto the floor. She pulled a suitcase from beside Keala's bed and plopped it on the ground. She unzipped said suitcase and pulled out the first outfit she saw; a light blue T-shirt, a second shirt, though this one was a long sleeved white one, a pair of jeans, and two brown Converse All Stars.

"Well, I'm set for the day," she said. She slipped out of her red pajama bottoms and black nightshirt, leaving her in only a simple white bra and green boxer shorts. She pulled on the outfit she selected and then zipped up her suitcase when she finished.

"I'll see you guys in a minute, okay?" She said, and then, like Hillary and Rain had before her, walked off toward the communal bathrooms.

"So are the rest of us ready to go?" Lexie asked her teammates. Hillary, Destiny, and Rain nodded, but Keala just shrugged.

"You guys go on ahead," she said. "I'll get dressed and catch up with you."

Lexie nodded and walked out the door, Hillary, Destiny, and Rain following close behind.

**

* * *

**

I Couldn't Think of a More Creative Way to Bridge the Time Gap...

* * *

20 minutes later, the twenty-three remaining Campers were gathered in the Mess Hall, all of them sitting as far away from Hatchet's food as the limited space would allow.

"Helloooo, Campers!" Bryce said as she walked into the Mess Hall. She looked like a large stuffed animal of sorts, clad in multiple layers of plush winter clothing, all of which were dyed different colors. "It's good to see all of you this morning!"

Raphael recognized Bryce as the girl who had been in the audience while he was singing. 'Excuse me?' he wrote on his clipboard. 'But who are you?'

He handed the clipboard to Bryce. Bryce looked the words over for a moment before answering, "My name is Bryce! I'll be your substitute-hostess for the next few episodes while Chris and Kia are off getting married."

Jamie laughed. "Chris? Getting married? Look out, Kia; you're life from here on is sure to be total hell."

Bryce snorted at Jamie's cynicism. "Oh, Jamie," she said. "Why oh why are you such a pessimist?"

Jamie didn't respond, instead he took to prodding his breakfast, if one could call it that, with his fork.

"So what's the challenge?" Alice asked, setting down her glass of more-than-likely-expired orange juice on the filthy tabletop.

"The what?" Bryce asked. She fooled with a strand of her hair for a minute, twisting it around her ring finger for a while, before she realized what Alice had asked. "Oh, right; the challenge!"

A symphony of sighs sounded from the Campers at Bryce's absentmindedness.

"Right," Bryce said. "Well, today's challenge won't actually take place until later this evening."

Another set of sighs.

"Then why did you drag us out of bed so damn early?" Derek asked.

Bryce's eyes darted nervously from Camper to Camper as her brain tried to formulate a decent lie to tell. "Uh… because…" Her eyes fell upon Jamie. "Because Jamie told me to!"

Jamie's eyes went wide.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Has no eyes to widen

-"Um, did I miss something?" Jamie asked. "Why on Earth did Bryce pin this on me?"

* * *

"Okay, bye!" Bryce yelled, already halfway out the Mess Hall, leaving Jamie behind to deal with his rather angry teammates.

"You had her get us up this early?" Even frowned.

Jamie mentally bashed his head against the table, but answered Even's question anyway. "Now why, pray-tell, would I have that overdeveloped squirrel wake us up this early if I myself am not a morning person?

"Besides, even if I did, a majority of us were awake anyway. You'd have to be insane to sleep in such cold conditions with such little cover."

"Hey!" Peiton shouted, defensively. "_I_ was sleeping!"

No one dared respond.

**

* * *

**

Screaming Gophers Girls' Cabin

After Bryce fled the Mess Hall, the Gopher Girls returned to the frozen tundra that was their cabin. Mind you, the cabin was still in disarray from Phoebe's rampage three nights prior, but it was better than spending their morning in the equally cold Mess Hall with their rival team… and Chef Hatchet's cooking.

"So what do you think the challenge will be today?" Shaya asked. She was sitting behind Peiton on her bed, and was twisting the crazy girl's hair into a braid.

"Not sure," Grace said, flipping through the pages of a dog-eared magazine. "But that girl said it was winter-based, so it's more than likely going to have something to do with Christmas."

The other girls nodded their heads in agreement before turning back to whatever it was they were doing before.

**

* * *

**

Mess Hall

Jamie cringed as Bryce attempted to talk his ear off, words shooting out of her mouth at a mile a minute. If he had to hear one more word about this 'Fredrico' fellow, he was going to loose it.

The short Gopher buried his face in his hands and let out a long groan that went unnoticed by Bryce. He parted his fingers so that his eyes could view his surroundings, and when he caught Raphael in his line of sight, he mouthed _'help me'_ to his silent teammate.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Doesn't know what to say

-"What did Jamie expect me to do?" Raphael asked, speaking verbally for once, rather than using his clipboard. "I mean, I like the guy, but does he really expect me to try and pull _Bryce_ away from him? I rather enjoy my sanity, thank you, whatever shreds I have left from only 5 days here."

-Bryce huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why is it that everyone gets a glaze look in their eyes and begs for help whenever I start talking about Fredrico? I mean, what is it? Is it because he's a tree?"

**

* * *

**

Killer Bass Boys' Cabin

Ben sat cross-legged on his bed, his beloved Pchan the Panda snuggled against his chest as he tried to catch a tiny bit of sleep. As Jamie had pointed out earlier that morning, the conditions of the previous night had been far too cold for the Bass boy's liking, and as a result, he'd spent the whole night shivering away.

"Dude… that Panda…" Alberto said.

Ben looked toward his teammate, the soft features of his face contorted in a look of puzzlement. "What're we talking about?" He asked, his short attention span running strong as ever.

"Your Panda," Alberto said, as he ran a hand through his light brown hair.

Ben held Pchan up to Alberto and frowned. "What about him?"

Alberto shrugged. "Dude, it's a little weird…"

Christian, who had been listening to the conversation while he played his PSP, decided now was as good a time as ever to cut in. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Ben's sister say that Ben's Panda was given to him by his mother?"

Alberto nodded his head. "Yes," he said.

Christian placed his game system on the bed. "And it's also true that Peiton said that the both of them live with their father, right? And that they haven't seen their mother in years?"

"Right, but…"

"Then why is it weird? Isn't it possible that Ben is keeping his beloved Panda so as to feel closer to the mother he and his sister lacked growing up?"

Alberto said nothing.

Meanwhile, as Alberto tried his best to ignore Christian, Josh, Russell, and Derek were making small talk on the porch of their cabin.

"So, if we lose this challenge," Josh said. "Who do you think we'll be sending home?"

Derek picked underneath his fingernails with his pocketknife, then turned to his lanky teammate. "Hillary seems like a likely candidate for elimination, wouldn't you concur?"

Josh nodded, but then said, "But, say Hillary _does_ get voted out… what if Chris brings her back like he did with Eva and Izzy?"

"Russell believes he heard Chris tell the Screaming Gophers that no one was coming back _ever_ this time," the 'third-person' speaking teen said.

"Yeah," Derek laughed. "He said that last time, too. But that didn't stop him from bringing those two crazies back anyway."

"Yes," Russell agreed. "But Russell also heard Jamie point that out to Chris, to which Chris responded 'things are different this time'."

Derek laughed again. "Well, we'll see if that holds true." He paused. "Assuming you two are still around before anyone's brought back."

Russell and Josh exchanged worried glances.

**

* * *

**

Later that evening…

"Campers!" Bryce called over the P.A. system, as she had done earlier that morning. "Please report to the Dock of Shame, _immediately_!"

The Campers groaned as they trudged out into the snow, blankets wrapped tightly around them in a vain attempt to stay warm. Peiton was trooping it though, wearing nothing but her flannel pajama bottoms and white T-shirt. But everyone expected just as much from the island's crazy-in-denial.

"CAMPERS!"

Twenty-three pairs of eyes strained to see through the snowstorm to wherever Bryce was calling from. However, she wasn't exactly hard to see, as she was decked out in a furry Santa Claus suit, complete with hat and fake beard.

"Ode to joy," Jamie muttered.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall - Is da man

-"Oh yeah!" Grace shouted. "I called it! I _knew_ this challenge was gonna be based off of Christmas! Who the man?! …er… girl…"

* * *

Jack giggled in delight at Bryce's getup and he pranced up to her. "I love the outfit," he said. "It's so festive."

Bryce squealed in delight as her peculiar taste in fashion was admired. "Really? You like it!"

Jack nodded. "Of course! Who doesn't love getting into the Christmas spirit?"

"It's fuckin' _July_!" Hillary said.

"Anyway!" Bryce yelled, stroking her beard. "For today's challenge…"

"Tonight," Jamie corrected, earning him several glares that he brushed off.

"Right," Bryce said. "For _tonight's_ challenge, we will be taking a little trip to the Playa de Losers."

Lexie raised an eyebrow at the Santa imposter. "Um… aren't we only supposed to go there when we've been voted out?"

Bryce shrugged. "Chris instructed me to drive you the Playa on the Boat of Losers for tonight's challenge."

Almost everyone paled upon hearing that Bryce would be driving them.

"Um, doesn't Chef Hatchet normally drive the Boat of Losers?"

"He's already waiting at the Playa," Bryce explained. "Don't worry, I can drive this thing like no other! Everyone just get onboard, and I'll have you at the Playa de Losers in a jiffy!"

Reluctantly, the Campers stepped one by one into the Boat of Losers, ignoring the sickening squeak of the floorboards as more and more weight was piled on the rickety boat.

"Everybody ready?" Bryce asked just as Grace got into the boat and took a seat beside Russell. "Good!"

The hyperactive host slammed down with all of her might onto the boat's pedal, sending it plowing through the near-frozen waters at high speeds. The Campers screamed for their lives at Bryce's selected speed and grabbed onto each other for dear life. Then, to their joy, it was over in only a minute.

"Last stop: Playa de Losers!"

The Campers jumped out of the boat and fell to the ground. They kissed the ground beneath them, never so happy to be on solid land once again.

Bryce rolled her eyes. "Geez," she said. "My driving isn't _that_ bad."

"I beg to differ," Jamie said through a mouthful of grass. "You drive worse than my grandmother does after a few dozen hits from the bottle."

"Anyway," Bryce interrupted, not exactly thrilled with the idea of being criticized on her driving skills any longer. "I think now is as good a time as any to explain tonight's challenge."

"Which is what?" Jordan asked.

Bryce smiled. "Tonight's challenge is a little game that Chef Hatchet and I like to call 'The Christmas Culprits'."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall – Is that mistletoe on the flypaper?

-"'The Christmas Culprits'?" Jamie asked. "Whoever came up with that poor excuse for alliteration should be fed to a starving pack of wolves!"

-"Russell thinks that a Christmas challenge is a swell idea," Russell said. "After all, Russell loves the holidays as next as the next guy does!"

-"I _hate_ the holidays!" Hillary shouted. "Whoever came up with the idea for this challenge is now at the top of my list!"

-"Sweet," Alice smiled. "A Christmas challenge! Sure, the title of it may be a little lame, but that doesn't matter!"

* * *

"And what exactly do we have to do in this Christmas Culprits challenge?" Destiny asked, arms crossed over her chest.

"Excellent question, Destiny," Bryce said. She turned her attention to the small snowflakes that danced lazily across her face, batting at them like a cat does a piece of string, losing all focus on Destiny's question. Well, until Jamie pulled her from her little game.

"Snap out of it!" He shouted as he stabbed the girl with his bony finger.

"Huh? Wha? Where?!"

Bryce looked around at the Campers and blushed. "Oh right… where was I?"

Destiny slapped a hand to her face. "The challenge," she muttered.

"Oh right! The challenge!

"Right then, for this challenge, 115 presents have been lain throughout the Playa de Losers; 5 presents for each of you. You goal is to find your five presents and bring them back to me within 3 hours. I'll be waiting in the lobby.

"_However_," Bryce put an emphasis on the word, trying to make the moment as dramatic as possible. "There are things you should be cautious of…

"The 10 Camp Counselors, Chef Hatchet, and Phoebe are all asleep in their hotel rooms. While finding your presents, you must be careful not to wake them, lest they find you, and you get disqualified. There are also a series of booby traps along with some presents, so be careful.

"Ready?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Derek said. "Is that it?"

Bryce gave Derek a strange look. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Is that _really_ all the rules for this challenge? No rules telling us how to win invincibility? No rules telling us what we aren't allowed to do while we look for our presents?"

Bryce shrugged. "Nope; nothing comes to mind. But I'll be sure to let you know if something pops up."

The Campers didn't look too convinced with Bryce, but were more concerned with getting into the warm sanctuary that was the Playa de Losers.

"Okay," Bryce said. "On your marks… get set… GO!"

**

* * *

**

A/N: Please review. I cannot stretch that enough; I want your opinions on this story and these chapters, and I want to know how you think I could improve!

**And yes, that is Cookies94's character, Bryce. MY BFFFL! (Best Fanfic Friends for Life)**


	13. Author's Note II

**I apologize greatly to my readers who believed this to be an update. I'm writing this Author's Note to tell you that it's actually quite the opposite. I have put this story on temporary suspension until I get over this case of writer's block. (Keep in mind, I may end up deleting this story altogether if this doesn't let up).**

**Again, I apologize.**

**Best regards,**

**Jamie am I**


	14. Have a Wawanakwa Christmas, Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island, nor do I own Total Drama Action. Both belong to Fresh TV and Teletoon.**

**A/N:**** I know I haven't update in forever, and for that, I'm terribly sorry. I go through writer's block quite often, as I'm sure you've noticed.**

**Now, before the start of this chapter, I would like to send thanks to GossipQueen101, Dreamer-by-Day, TitanWolf, Cookies94, and a special thanks to Sonowa. You are all wonderful (both as writers and as, albeit cyber, friends), and I thank you for following this story.**

* * *

The two teams stood in the empty lobby of the Playa des Losers, gathered amongst their teammates in separate corners of the room. Hillary stood at the front of the Killer Bass' small clump, head held high as she badgered her teammates with questions and commands.

"So do any of you have any half-way decent ideas?" she asked, looking down her thin nose at Rain.

Rain rolled her ruby eyes. "I think I may be sick," she said, clutching her stomach through her black tank top.

Hillary frowned. "Get bent," she sneered before turning back to her other teammates. "And what about the rest of you? Lexie: do you have any ideas maybe?"

"As if you'd actually listen to anything _I_ said," Lexie said. "And anyway, who the hell died and made you the captain o' this team?"

Hillary held her hands up before her. "Whoa, Lexie, chill," she said, voice thick with sarcasm. "I never said anything about me being captain. But, if _you_ think that might be a good idea-"

"Hardly," Lexie said as she flipped her ponytail of ebony hair. "You really think that after watching last season, and seeing Heather's prima donna butt, we'd even consider making you captain?"

"If you know what's good for this team," Hillary said. ", you would do just that."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Lexie shook her head at the camera. "I can't believe that girl," she said. "She shows up here at camp acting like a total Heather duplicate, and she expects us to put her in charge of this team? Girl _must_ have something wrong with that head o' hers."

* * *

"Look," Alberto said, stepping between the two fighting girls. ", for the time being, let's just come up with a good game plan for this challenge. You two can fight to the death later, okay?"

Hillary picked Alberto's hand up off her shoulder by her bony fingers and dropped it into the air. "Let's agree that there is absolutely _no_ physical contact between us of any kind, shall we?"

That being said, Hillary turned briskly on her heel and strode of toward the Playa's elevators, leving her teammates in their small corner of the room.

"Well," Alberto said, awkwardly rubbing his neck with the back of his batted hand. "Should we follow suit? Get looking for presents?"

Keala shrugged her shoulders and patted Alberto on the back. "Why not?" she asked. "The sooner we get to lookin', the better. Meet back here in half an hour?"

"Sounds good to me," Lexie said, smiling at Keala.

As the Killer Bass emptied out of the lobby, the Screaming Gophers stayed behind in their own corner, discussing a game plan they hoped would bring them victory.

"So we're clear on the plan?" Even asked as he tried to casually drape an arm around Ashlynn's slim waist. …Or at least what he _himself_ deemed to be casual.

"Yep," Jamie said, nose buried in a copy of Janet Evanovich's _High Five_. "We split up, find as many presents as we can, and meet back here in an hour. Then, if any of us have collected all five presents, we help others."

Even frowned. "Right," he said.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Even sat in the confessional, a frown plastered on his face and his eyebrows creased downward. "Ah, come on," he said. "Jamie _really_ thinks that he can go on being a total ass and then the next day, bury his face in a book and expect everything to be fine?"

* * *

The Gophers then headed off in their respectful directions, Shaya and Jamie the only ones who decided to stay on the first floor.

Shaya tiptoed down the hall to her right, pressing her back up against the crème-painted walls. She inched her way closer to a door at the end of the hall, which was propped open just wide enough to let her see inside.

Shaya peered inside, careful not to make any noise on the chance that a Counselor may be sleeping in the room. Or worse: maybe Phoebe was sleeping in there.

Then, she turned her head to the side, and noticed for the first time, a small tabletop Christmas tree resting on the nightstand. The miniature tree was adorned with strings of red lights, and cheap, 99-cent store tinsel. Beneath the tree sat three, crudely wrapped presents, each topped with a single bow.

Shaya sat upright on the bed and reached out the presents. She took all three in her hand at once and examined the nametags carefully.

"To Russell," she read off the first package. "From Izzy, . E-Scope." She frowned as she placed the present back on the bedside table. Then she took the second one in her hands and looked at the nametag.

"To Jamie," it said. "Love Sadie. _Eee!_" To no one's great surprise, the package was wrapped in obnoxious pink-white wrapping paper and covered in _Hello Kitty_ stickers.

Shaya dropped the second gift on the bed next to her, making a mental note to let Jamie know it was there before she took the third and last present in her hands. "To Shaya," it read. "From Courtney."

Shaya grinned and tucked the present under her arm. Then, she rose from the bed and slipped out of the bedroom as gracefully as she had gone in.

As Shaya walked out into the halls, she ran – quite literally – into Derek, who stood empty-handed, frowning at the Gopher girl.

"Oh, Derek," Shaya said, blushing and smoothing out her tank top. "What're you doing here?"

"Waiting for these next two hours to wrap up," he shrugged. "No pun intended, seeing as this challenge involves presents and all."

Shaya looked at Derek, her confusion obvious in her facial expression. "Aren't you going to search for your presents?" she asked.

"What would be the point?" Derek asked. "The Playa des Losers is _huge_! The odds of me finding my presents aren't very good, anyway, so I see no point in even participating in this lame challenge."

"But don't you worry about your team? What if they lose, and you get voted off?"

Derek shrugged. "Then I get voted off. Honestly, I didn't expect to make it too far in this contest. Besides, this contest was just for laughs and giggles anyway, even if there weren't any actual laughs or giggles on my part. And in any case, it's not as though I really need the money."

"But don't you want to at least try a _little_ bit?" Shaya pressed. She realized that Derek was on the opposing team, but still, she couldn't bear to watch him throw the contest like this.

"Not really," Derek admitted. "Anyway, _you_ should probably get going. You don't want your teammates to see you associating with a Killer Bass member, just in case you guys lose again."

Shaya nodded absentmindedly, still in shock with Derek's morbid attitude. But, she supposed it wasn't her place to convince the emo kid otherwise, so she turned toward the elevators and walked off, leaving Derek behind.

As Derek watched her step into the open elevator, he sat down on a nearby bench and let loose a sigh.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Derek sat in the confessional, shoulders hunched tightly together, and his crystal blue eyes looking down at the floor. "I know that me not even participating in the challenge may make me seem like a lazy prick. Don't be mistaken: I am. But there's just _something_ about Christmas that always gets me down in the dumps. Even if this is really the middle of July."

* * *

As Shaya rode the elevator in silence to the second floor, Mitch crept quietly down a long, dimly lit corridor on the Playa's fifth level. He shivered violently, regretting not packing any shirts in his suitcase before he came to the island. Being the horny bastard he was, he had hoped to attract a few Campers with his well-built torso and attractive facial features. What he didn't count on, however, was this freak snowstorm.

Mitch rounded a corner of the corridor and stopped dead in his tracks. Lying on the floor, outside one of the suites, was Phoebe, wrapped tightly in a sleeping bag. Her face, even in sleep, was contorted into a nasty scowl, almost as if she could sense her back stabbing teammate, who still stood rooted to the spot, a few feet in front of her.

In the dim lighting, Mitch caught sight of a small bit of red yarn, wrapped tightly around Phoebe's middle finger (_Her middle finger,_ he thought, _how fitting)_. He followed the yarn, his eyes coming to a rest upon the glass doorknob of Phoebe's suite.

"There must be a lot of presents in there," he whispered to himself. Phoebe stirred at his voice, and Mitch leapt back behind the corner in fear.

After waiting a minute or two, Mitch heard the unmistakable sound of Phoebe's light snoring, and let loose the breath he'd been holding. Pressing himself against the wall, Mitch rounded the corner again, stopping at the point where his bare foot brushed lightly against the fabric of Phoebe's sleeping bag.

_Decision time_, he thought to himself. _Do I risk waking Phoebe, and see if there are any presents in __there? Or do I walk by like nothing ever happened?_

Phoebe let loose a loud grunt, and Mitch decided to go with the former of his two options.

Mitch carefully placed his foot in the small gap between Phoebe and the door. Then, he reached out his hand and grasped the doorknob firmly in his hand.

Phoebe didn't so much as flinch.

He turned the doorknob slowly, not wanting to put any tension on the red yarn, and, when he heard the soft _'click!'_ of the lock, Mitch began to push open the door. He only opened the door a foot or two, just large enough for him to squeeze through and not pull the yarn.

He crouched down low and stepped under the yarn, through the gap in the door, and pulled himself into the room. Almost immediately, Mitch had found what it was he was looking for. In the center of the room, a pile of at least ten presents sat neatly atop each other. The sequined wrapping paper shimmered in the dull lighting of the room

"Jackpot," he whispered to himself, taking a step toward the presents.

"MAMA!"

Mitch jumped and spun on the spot, searching his surroundings for the noise. A quick glance to his left showed him a Baby Alive doll, placed upright on a trunk that lay at the foot of the suite's large bed. The doll's crystal blue eyes stared blankly ahead, and Mitch stood right in its gaze.

"Jesus H. Christ," he muttered to himself, clutching violently at his chest. "Who the fuck put this stupid doll here?!"

"That would be me."

Mitch didn't even have time to respond before a pair of tiny hands grabbed him harshly by the shoulders and jerked him around. Standing above him, black-painted nails digging into his shoulders, was Phoebe.

"Ph-ph-phoebe," Mitch stuttered, cringing as the aforementioned surfer chick dug her nails further into his skin. "H-have a good sleep?"

"Oh," Phoebe laughed. "I've been getting a great deal of sleep since I arrived here at the Playa. Y'know, after you and those ignorant assholes _voted me off the show!_"

Mitch nervously began fingering the diamond stud in his left ear. "L-look, Phoebe, ya gotta believe me when I say that I didn't vote for-"

"Jamie?" Phoebe interrupted. "I _know_. Chris took the liberty of showing me the votes upon my arrival. Imagine how pleased I was to see that I lost by _one vote_. The _final_ vote. The one _you_ cast!"

"N-now, Bee-"

"You made a _horrible_ mistake, Blackburn," Phoebe snarled. "And now, seeing as we're the only ones stuck in here, I think it's time you face the consequences of that mistake."

With his heart pumping and his eyes widened, Mitch let loose a loud screech and pushed Phoebe off of him, sending the ex-Camper to the floor of the suite. He glanced back at the door, but found it shut, and the latch set in place.

"Oh, you're _beyond_ screwed now, Mitchell!"

Mitch screeched again and ran blindly away from Phoebe… and out the suite's open window.

He fell five stories, screaming the whole way down in a mess of flailing limbs and shocking pink hair. However, by sheer luck (and the nonsensical ways of the cartoon world), Mitch splashed gracelessly into the pool of the Playa, breaking through the layer of ice that covered it.

The below freezing water felt like a thousand knives against Mitch's exposed skin, and was just as merciless. He pushed himself against the bottom of the pool as hard as he could, sending himself upward toward the surface. Breaking through another patch of ice, Mitch gasped violently for air.

"Wow," Bryce said as she skated her way over to Mitch, doing a perfect Figure Eight on the ice. "Nice exit."

Mitch continued to gasp. "I just- and she- and you-"

"While I would love to hear you spout off phrases that have no ending to them, I think it's best we get you out of that water first. Oh, and I also want to let you know that you've been disqualified from this challenge."

"S-s-s-ay _what_?!"

Bryce shrugged her shoulders. "The goal of the challenge was to not get busted by the Counselors or Phoebe. Since Phoebe scared you out that window, that means you're disqualified. Now let's get you warmed up."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Mitch slammed his head repeatedly against the side of the confessional. "Stupid Bryce!" He shouted. "Stupid Phoebe! Stupid freezing cold water!"

-"Wow," Bryce muttered, sipping lightly at a mug of hot chocolate that she held in her mitten-clad hands. "Mitch sure thinks a lot of things are stupid. I myself, am unfortunately one of those many things. I also happen to be at the top of that list… Should I be offended?"

* * *

As Bryce escorted Mitch to the Playa's kitchen (a task which was easier said than done, seeing as Mitch was completely frozen from the waist down), Alice and Peiton were busy searching through one of the Playa's many unoccupied suites.

"Now, Alice," Peiton said, ripping through the drawers of the suite's nightstand. "If you were a Christmas present, where would you hide?"

Alice pulled herself out from under the bed and tapped lightly on her chin. "It depends on what the present is and who it's for," she said.

Peiton nodded her head and sat down beside her Twilight crazed friend. "This is true," she mused, "very true indeed."

"That it is, Peiton," Alice concurred, fiddling with the ties of her Team Edward hoodie. She stared intently at the picture of Robert Pattinson on her jacket's front, looking into the topaz eyes that glared harshly back at her.

"You don't suppose that one of my five presents is something Twilight related do you? That would be beyond awesome!"

Peiton tilted her head back against the bed and flicked her eyes up toward the ceiling. "I dunno," she said after a minute. "Do you suppose any of _my_ gifts may be a tranquilizer gun? 'Cause, man, ever since I saw Izzy use that sucker last season I've been meanin' to get me one of them!"

Alice giggled into her first. "That would be beyond whatever is beyond awesome!"

Peiton clapped her hands together and chuckled. "Y'know, no one back at home can hold a conversation with me like this, save for Ben of course. But it's nice having a girlfriend I can chat with about my interests."

"I totally get what you mean," Alice smiled. "From where I'm from, I'm just considered the Twilight fanatic. Which, although true, isn't all there is to me."

"Now I _totally_ know what _that_ feels like!" Peiton laughed. "I'm usually just considered an Izzy wannabe at my school. I'm not insane, I just don't want to be one of those cookie-cutter girls you see splashed all over TV and in books."

"And that's good," Alice said, sliding back slightly under the bed. "It is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

Peiton smirked. "Marilyn Monroe?" she asked.

Alice beamed. "Yep. Gotta love 'er!"

Peiton laughed again. "Well, I think we ought to get back to looking for some of those presents. Lord knows how much time we've spent chatting in here."

"Sounds good to me," Alice said, moving to pull the remainder of her body out from under the bed. But as she pulled her leg forward, she felt her foot hit against something.

"What the heck?" She asked, pulling herself back under the bed. The space beneath the bed was too dark to make anything out, though, and so Alice pulled out her cell phone. She flipped the screen open and clicked the 'SEND' button. In an instant, the screen flickered to light, casting a dim, bluish light over a collection of six presents that lay pressed against the wall below the bed.

"Peiton," Alice smiled, scooping the presents into her arms, "I think our chatting just may have paid off!"

She carelessly tossed the presents out from under the bed, and followed after them so that she was now laying on the moonlit carpet of the suite. In this lighting, she could make out the various shades of green, red, gold, and white of the wrapping paper, and the seven nametags that were attached to them.

Two presents were marked for Jordan, one for Alexandra, one for Derek, one for Ashlynn, and two for both Peiton and Alice.

"Alice, you rock!" Peiton shouted, grabbing the two presents labeled as theirs.

Alice jumped to her feet and threw herself at Peiton, wrapping her arms around her and jumping up and down. "We got 'em! We're awesome!"

The two girls giggled for a minute or two before pushing themselves apart and looking back at the pile of presents on the ground.

"What should we do about the rest of them?" Alice asked.

"I'm not sure," Peiton admitted. "Maybe leave the ones for our teammates on the bed? Then shove the rest back underneath it?"

"But won't that get us disqualified?" Alice asked.

Peiton shook her head. "Bryce said we couldn't hide our opponents presents, nor could we take any of our teammates' ones back to the checkpoint. But those presents were _already_ underneath the bed. There'd be no harm in placing them back where we found them."

Alice grinned. "I guess you're right," she said, picking up the presents for Derek and Alexandra. She tossed them back underneath the bed, and set Ashlynn and Jordan's carefully on the nightstand.

"Excellent," Peiton said. "Now onto the rest of the Playa!"

As Peiton dashed out of the room, Alice moved to follow. But halfway to the door, she stopped and looked back at the bed. She glanced back to make sure Peiton was gone for a moment before reaching back under the bed and pulling out Derek's present, which she sat alongside Ashlynn's on the nightstand.

"'tis the season," she muttered, allowing her fingers to linger on the present for a moment.

"Alice!" She heard Peiton shout from the hall. "You coming?"

Alice was jerked from her thoughts and whirled around toward Peiton's voice. "Yeah!" She called back. "But try not to be so loud!"

And with that, she headed after her teammate.

* * *

Alberto and Josh walked side by side down the Playa's eighth floor, chatting in hushed tones as they made their way around a corner.

"So you and Even have always been close?" Josh asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Yep yep," Alberto said, pounding a fist roughly against his chest. "We're best friends, he and I. Amigos mejores. I love the kid like a brother."

"I would imagine," Josh said. "You've known each other nearly your whole lives!"

"Yep yep," Alberto repeated. "Thirteen years, and our friendship's still goin' strong."

"Well good for you two. It's rare that people stay friends anymore, and I don't say that to be a pessimist. On the contrary, I'm sort of praising you two for the dedication you've put toward this."

Alberto chuckled. "You make us sound like we're married, chico."

"Well that's not my intention, let me reassure you," Josh said. "But it's kind of amazing you two staying so tight for so long."

"Yeah, it is amazing, us two sticking it out all these years. I mean, Jessica and I are close, too. But me and Even, we're tighter than tight, and it kind of sucks having been placed on opposite teams, y'know?"

Josh shrugged. "Personally, no," he admitted. "I'm not really that close with anyone, to be frank."

Alberto frowned. "Well ya gotta be close with _someone_, chico."

Again, Josh shrugged. "I'm kind of a loner," he said. "Not by choice, mind you. I was just never really part of any of the social cliques at my school."

"Well surely you've got one friend, right? Un amigo?"

Josh snorted. "Oh, I have friends. Just very few, and none of them are really that close to me. Most just come and go with time, and who knows, maybe it's better that way. Still, I won't deny wishing I had someone I could talk with every once in a while."

Alberto slapped Josh harshly on the back, knocking the nerd off balance and sending him to the floor. "Lo siento, chico," Alberto said. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

"Apparently not," Josh laughed from the floor.

"Right," Alberto chuckled. "Anyway, what I was tryin' to say before I… er… knocked ya over, is for the time that either of us are here, if ya ever need someone to talk to, I'm your guy. Sound good?"

Josh cracked a lopsided grin. "Muy bueno," he laughed, pulling himself to his feet. "But just keep in mind, once those teams merge…"

Alberto laughed. "I'm guessing I should watch my back?"

Josh narrowed his eyes and glared jokingly at Alberto. "Sleep with one eye open."

The two shared a laugh together, and continued off down the hall.

* * *

Destiny shuffled through the songs on her iPod as she pulled open drawn after drawer of an armoire. She settled for _Skylines and Turnstiles_ by My Chemical Romance, and began to mouth the words to the ever familiar song.

"_You're not alone in this_

_Let me break this awkward silence_

_Let me go, go on record_

_Be the first to say I'm sorry"_

After searching the armoire from top to bottom and finding nothing inside of it, she turned her head to the large grandfather clock that stood on the adjacent wall. The face read 12:00 exactly, which meant she had only an hour longer to find and locate her remaining three presents.

One she had been lucky enough to find right from the start. It lay openly on the front desk of the Playa, beside a poinsettia that had been set out in order to keep within the Christmas theme. The other hadn't been as easy a find.

She had found her second present, a bulky and rather large package tied up in simple brown wrapping paper, on the third floor of the Playa. The present had been hidden in the suite where Chef Hatchet resided, his trademark cleaver still held in his sleep. The present had been held tightly in his arms alongside two others (One for Jack, the other for Rain), and was placed in such a way that Destiny feared the slightest alteration to its placement might wake the brute.

Thankfully, though, there was a pillow that had been beyond mutilated – courtesy of Chef, Destiny assumed – lying limply against the door when Destiny first walked in. Several goose feathers lay alongside the tarnished pillow, and Destiny, who at the time was in need of a distraction and had always wanted to try the trick, used one of the feathers on Chef Hatchet.

Chef, Destiny found, was rather ticklish under the arms, and it wasn't long before her present was unleashed from his grip. However, upon collecting her present, Chef Hatchet began to wake, and she had had to dash out of the suite and into the nearest elevator.

So now, here she was, sifting through yet another suite in hopes of finding a present.

"Of all the bloody things that twisted man could have made us do," she muttered to herself, "it had to be a freakin' Christmas challenge."

She flipped to another song on her iPod (_Emergency_ by Paramore) and sank down to the ground, leaning against the armoire. She rested her arms on her knees, and let her head drop down into the space between them.

"Girl, what _are_ you doin'?"

Destiny looked up to see Lexie standing in the doorway of the suite, hands on her hips, and Rain standing behind her.

"Sulking," she responded, dropping her head back into her arms.

"Now what do you have to be sulking about?" She asked, stepping into the room.

"My being here. I shouldn't have come."

Rain frowned at Destiny. "What brought this about? You were fine just this afternoon, and now you're all depressed. Why the sudden mood swing?"

"Yeah," Lexie agreed. "Is it that time of the month for ya, hun? Because let me tell you, when I get my monthly visit from Aunt Rose, I-"

"_No_," Destiny sighed. "Look, I just don't want to be here, okay? I _want_ to be back at home, with my mother, not stuck on this crappy show."

"So why're you here, then?" Rain questioned, arching a finely plucked brow.

"This whole coming on the show was my mom's idea. She said I'd been too hung up over my-"

Destiny stopped. "Ya know what, never mind. Forget I said anything."

As Destiny got up and moved for the door, Lexie stepped into her path. "Nuh-uh, girl," she said. "Somethin's up with you, and we wanna know what. We may not have known each other long, and we may not have talked much-"

"At all, actually," Rain butted in.

Lexie looked back at the rocker. "Not helping, hun," she said.

Rain shrugged and leaned against the wall. "Sorry, continue."

"As I was saying," Lexie began again, "we may not have known each other long, but we're teammates. Now what's up?"

Destiny elbowed her way past Lexie. "Later, okay? For now, I've got a challenge to complete, and you two should do the same."

And with that, Destiny walked out of the suite, leaving behind a very confused Rain and Lexie.

**

* * *

**

A/N:

**Okay, again, it's not my best chapter. But I wanted to focus more on the characters who didn't get much time to themselves yet, (i.e. the Killer Bass members). The third part of this challenge should be posted soon. It depends on school, really. Freakin' honors and AP classes.**

**Anyway, review please, and vote in my poll. (It doesn't matter that Phoebe's been eliminated, you can still vote for her).**

**Best regards to all of you,**

**Jamie am I.**


	15. Have a Wawanakwa Christmas, Part 3

**Disclaimer: Nope. I still don't own anything. Sigh.**

* * *

Grace shivered in her lavender nightgown as she walked through the kitchen of the Playa des Losers. She rubbed at her arms fervently, trying desperately to heat herself up, but to no avail. She made her way over to the large, chrome refrigerator that stood like a giant against the kitchen's back wall.

She had decided shortly after her team split up for this challenge that no one would think to look in the Playa's kitchen. And so, thinking that Chris and Bryce would want to hide the presents in such a place, she made her way there on tiptoe.

"W-why is it so painfully cold in here?" She asked herself, pulling her gown closer to around her. The thin material, however, did virtually nothing to heat up her nearly frozen skin.

"Well hello, there."

Grace froze and looked behind her. Russell was walking into the kitchen, a pile of four presents in his left hand and two candy canes in his right. Sitting atop his head was a battered Santa hat, complete with jingle bell at the tip. Grace couldn't help but giggle.

"Why are you wearing that?" She asked.

Russell grinned. "Russell liked it. He thought it was fitting for this challenge, seeing as it's Christmas and all."

"It's very fitting," Grace laughed. "Cute, too."

Russell stopped and placed the presents he was holding on the kitchen counter, and then placed the candy canes on top of those. He then looked at Grace and shrugged out of his jacket, which proudly bore the Superman emblem on its front.

"Grace looked cold," he said, handing her the jacket.

Grace blushed and took the jacket from Russell. It was worn and torn, there was no way of denying that, and it looked as though it may fall apart at any given moment. But for its poor state, it felt rather soothing, and the inside was lined with an incredibly warm material that defrosted Grace's icy fingers.

"But, Russell," she said, turning the jacket over in her hands, "I don't want you to have to go shirtle-"

It was then that Grace realized that Russell hadn't been wearing anything under his jacket, and was now standing before her, bare chest exposed. Grace felt her face heat up and her mouth run dry.

* * *

**Confessional Stall**

-Grace sat in the confessional, fanning herself with one hand, and holding a blood soaked tissue to her nose with the other. "I don't know what came over me," she said. "I just couldn't help myself. Russell is such a sweet guy… and seeing him without a shirt… that just sealed the deal for me."

-Russell fiddled absently with the Santa Claus hat for a moment before looking up at the camera. "Shoot," he said, "if Russell had known Grace would react like that, Russell would have tried that a long time ago."

* * *

"Haha," Russell laughed, taking Grace's hand in his own. "Grace doesn't have to worry about Russell getting cold. Russell's a big boy, and a little cold weather won't get him down."

"Russell," Grace pressed, "our breath is freezing in midair and falling to the ground as snowflakes. I think this is more than just a 'little cold weather'."

Russell shrugged and inched a bit closer to Grace. "Russell will be fine," he insisted. "Or he will be, so long as he's got his own little ray of sunshine walking through the Playa with him."

Grace blushed again and Russell reached up to bring a hand to her cheek. He stroked her frozen skin tenderly and brushed a strand of Grace's curly brown hair behind her ear.

"Now why don't Grace and Russell get to searching the Playa?" He asked.

Grace nodded. "Grace likes that idea," she said.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"Aw," Bryce gushed, sucking on the end of a candy cane. "Young love. I just hope the whole "being-on-opposing-teams" factor won't come back to bite them in the butt."

* * *

"So what do you say?" Christian asked, extending his hand toward Keala.

"You're kidding, right?" Keala asked. "You want to start an alliance?"

Christian nodded. "That's right," he said. "So what do you say?"

Keala gave a hearty laugh and patted Christian's head of light brown spikes. "I say you're delusional, hun. It's _way_ too early in the game to be startin' any alliances, and in any case, you really want me to work with a twelve-year-old?

"Don't get me wrong, I respect you as a teammate and all, but I don't really think teaming up with a twelve-year-old is the best way to secure me a spot in the finals."

"Don't underestimate me," Christian said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I may be the youngest Camper and I may not be hopped up on 'roids like Eva, but I'm just as formidable a competitor as anyone else. As Chris stated on Day 1, I skipped from Grade 5 to Grade 11 and have still managed to maintain a high GPA."

"That doesn't necessarily mean you'll make it far in this contest, hun," Keala laughed. "Just look at Courtney. She was the smartest competitor here, and she didn't even make it to the merge."

"Ah, but you're forgetting that Harold rigged the votes against her," Christian interjected. "Had it not been for him, Courtney may have won last season."

Keala shrugged. "Maybe," she said. "But then again, she should've had enough sense not to get attached to Duncan like she did. This is a reality show, and we're all each other's competition."

"That may be," Christian said. "However, that doesn't mean two competitors can't help each other get along in this contest."

Keala stared at Christian, a look of amusement on her face. "You've really thought this over, haven't you, hun?"

"Yes," Christian nodded. "Yes I have."

Keala shook her head in disbelief, but also let out a small chuckle. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Christian, you've got a deal."

Keala took Christian's hand, which he had kept extended toward her during his whole speech, and gave it a firm shake. The twelve-year-old smirked and nodded.

"Good," he said.

"Very," Keala laughed. "Now who else should we get in this alliance?"

Christian held up his hands. "I don't think we should be getting anybody else in our alliance just yet. We want to keep our operation under wraps a while."

"You're sure about that?" Keala asked. "I mean, I get that we don't want to be broadcasting that we're in an alliance together, but wouldn't it make sense to try and raise our numbers just a little?"

"Not while the teams are still in tact," Christian said. "And besides, the more people we have in our alliance, the more likely it is for one of them to turn on us. We'll only have a set supply of rival Campers to vote for until we have to start banishing people from our own alliance."

Keala eyed Christian suspiciously. "So how am I to know that you won't just turn behind my back and convince other people you may be conspiring with to vote me off?"

"You don't," Christian said. "But likewise, how am I to know you won't do the same?"

Keala said nothing. She just smiled.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"That Christian kid's a lot smarter than people may give him credit for," Keala said as she doodled in her sketchbook. "He's got a real game plan going on. I may disagree about the part where we only have two members in our alliance, but we can discuss that some other time."

-"Keala may not like the fact that our alliance contains only the two of us," Christian said, "but I think it's what's best. Look at Heather's alliance from Season 1. She only had two other people and she voted one of them out a few episodes after they joined together. I don't want Keala and I to have to do that. At least not yet."

* * *

"Okay," Keala said. "So, assuming we lose this challenge, who do you think we should vote for?"

'We'll discuss that later," Christian said. "For now though, we only have half an hour left to find our remaining presents, and I have a feeling that if we show up at the checkpoint empty handed, _we'll_ be the ones who have votes cast for us."

"True," Keala said. "Okay then, meet up later outside the girls' cabin?"

Christian shook his head. "That's too open," he said. "We'll meet at the Dock of Shame. No one ever goes over there unless it's a day off, or a bonfire ceremony has started."

"The Dock of Shame it is," Keala agreed, dipping her head lightly at Christian. "I'll see you…?"

"I'm not sure," Christian admitted. "Since this is a night challenge, the bonfire ceremony will be at a different time. We'll have to sort it out once we get back to Camp."

Keala nodded. "See you then."

As she and Christian went their separate ways, neither of the two noticed a certain blonde Killer Bass step out of the shadows and glare accusingly at their retreating forms.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"So," Hillary sneered, her emerald eyes narrowed and her manicured nails drumming rapidly against the seat of the confessional, "Christian and that Keala girl are trying to start an alliance, huh? They'd better have enough sense to call that alliance off, or I'm not so sure I can keep them around."

* * *

Ashlynn frowned as she stared out the Playa's open window, hands placed firmly on her hips and her bottom lip caught between her two rows of teeth. Dangling a few feet out the window, hanging by a string tied to a flag pole, was a present wrapped in bright orange wrapping paper. And, as luck would have it, it was only a few inches out of her reach.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"Okay," Ashlynn huffed, staring harshly at the camera, "what's with all my challenges being either a danger to my health or life? I nearly got a hernia carrying Kia up that hill in the first challenge, and now they expect me to reach out a window that I might fall out of just to get a present? Which might not even be mine?!"

* * *

"Great," the rocker sighed, letting her shoulders sag. "How am I supposed to do this?"

"Ash?"

Ashlynn waved halfheartedly behind her, not even bothering to turn around. "Hey, Even," she greeted, having come to recognize the party boy's voice already.

"What? _I_ don't warrant a hello?" A second voice asked.

This time, Ashlynn turned around. Sure enough, Even was standing a few feet behind her, but behind him, Jordan stood in the doorway, hip jutting out and a fake scowl on his face.

"Sorry, Jord," Ashlynn laughed, taking a step toward the boy. "How're you two coming along with this challenge?"

"Pretty good," Jordan said. "I've found all of my presents, and Even's found all but one of his."

"I'm in the same boat as Even, I'm afraid," Ashlynn said. "Only I think I've _found_ my last present, I'm just not sure how exactly to obtain it."

Even cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?" He asked, not entirely comprehending Ashlynn's situation.

"Take a look out the window," she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

Even and Jordan stepped further into the room and looked out the open window.

"Well that's original," Jordan said, eyeing the present from his spot beside Even. "It's definitely dangerous, but it's original. So I applaud Chris and Bryce for that."

Ashlynn rolled her eyes. "I'm so glad you find my situation amusing," she snapped.

"Not amusing," Jordan corrected her, "just original."

Ashlynn flicked Jordan harshly on the back of his ear, making him cringe and grab at his now sore earlobe. "What?" He asked. "As if you wouldn't find it amusing if _I_ were the one stuck like this?"

"I don't deny that," Ashlynn said. "But I'm a girl. Show a little sympathy."

Jordan laughed. "You certainly have a strong argument there," he jested.

"I like to think so," Ashlynn said. "That's the line I always use to persuade my older brothers."

"Persuade them into doing what?" Even asked.

Ashlynn shrugged. "It varies on the occasion. Now are you two gonna help me get that present, or aren't you?"

Even and Jordan exchanged worried glances with each other before turning back to Ashlynn.

"Do you really think it's worth it?" Even asked. "I mean, you've already got four of your five presents.

"Not to mention," Jordan added, "You aren't even sure that that present is meant for you. For all we know, you could be getting a present for the other team."

"Well we'll never know until we try, now will we?" Ashlynn asked, pushing Jordan aside and leaning, once more, out the open window, trying in vain to grasp the present.

"Ashlynn, watch it!" Even shouted. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Ashlynn's waist, then tugged backward, pulling her back into the room.

'Even!" She shouted as the two of them went crashing to the floor, with her falling harshly on top of him. Even let out a groan as Ashlynn's elbow slammed into his crotch.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Even sat in the confessional, hunched over and with his hands grabbing his crotch in pain. "Oh, God!" he cried. "Duncan's right! The girls _do_ always go for the kiwis, intentional or otherwise."

* * *

Ashlynn gasped and pulled herself up off of Even. "Oh my gosh, Even! I'm so sorry!"

As Ashlynn reached down to help the blond up, Jordan held her back. "Um," he said, "maybe _I_ should help him."

Ashlynn blushed.

* * *

**Confessional Stall**

-"I felt _so_ horrible elbowing Even in his… er… jewels," Ashlynn said, nervously gnawing on her violet nails. "I can be such a freakin' klutz. No wonder I never get the guys I like."

* * *

Jamie shook in frustration as he walked down the Playa's seventh floor, a pile of four neatly wrapped presents in his arms, and Jack tailing behind him, mouth running as usual.

"Okay," Jack said, his green eyes fixed on the back of Jamie's head. "I'm set on trying to get you to like me, or at least not hate me."

Jamie stopped in his track and spun on around, startling the taller boy. "And you thought the best way to do that was to follow me around like a lost puppy and pester me while I try and focus on this challenge?"

Jack shrugged. "It was either that or try and get into your pants like Mitch did on Day 1."

Jamie held up a finger and opened his mouth to let out a snappy remark, only to be cut off by Bryce's voice coming over the P.A. system.

"Okay, Campers!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the empty halls. "The three hours are up, which means that you have to report back to the lobby!"

Jamie's face contorted itself into an angry scowl and he threw his presents roughly to the ground. "Great!" he shouted, staring angrily at Jack. "I've only got four of my five presents thanks to your pestering!"

Jack held up the two presents he held in either of his gloved hands. "At least you've got more than me," he joked.

Jamie shut his eyes and took large, anxious breaths through his nose. "Jack," he said, "I am about five seconds away from shoving my foot up your-"

"GYAHHHHHHH!"

Jamie and Jack both jumped, crashing blindly into each other as Raphael ran past them in a green and blue blur.

"For the love of all that is decent and good in this world," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at his two teammates, who still had their arms wrapped around each other from the initial shock, "I implore you two to _run!_"

"Oh," came Bryce's voice again. "I may have forgotten to mention something. While you Campers, save for Mitch, may have avoided the Counselors in the past three hours, you must also avoid them as you make your way down to the lobby! Only this time, they're roaming the halls and packing eggnog-filled squirt guns to soak any Campers who cross their paths! Have fun!"

"Eggnog-filled what?" Jamie asked, looking up at the P.A. system that hung on the wall beside him.

"Eggnog-filled squirt guns!" Jack screamed, throwing Jamie over his shoulder and scooping up Jamie's presents from the floor in one swift movement. He then turned on his heel and took off down the hall, a screaming Jamie pounding on his back.

"Put me down!" the cynic shouted, trying to kick Jack in the stomach. "I said put me down!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea!" Raphael, who Jack had managed to catch up to in only a few seconds, shouted.

"And why would that be?!"

As Jamie asked this, a stream of sickly white liquid went rushing past his ear before splashing all over the wall at the end of the hall. Jamie looked toward where the stream of liquid had came from, and what he saw made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Running toward them, with a large squirt gun gripped firmly in her hand, was Phoebes. Her pixie-styled hair whipped viciously behind her and her nostrils flared as she aimed the gun at them once more.

"Suck eggnog you good for nothing pricks!"

She fired off another missile of eggnog, which splashed to the floor by Jack's feet. The punk screamed and picked up his feet, jumping over the puddle and landing safely on the other side of it.

"Run faster!" Raphael shouted, right arm outstretched, ready to slam his hand against the call button for the elevator that waited at the end of the long hall.

"You three aren't getting away that easily!" Phoebe shouted, firing off another three rounds, all three of which missed and splashed against the floor, another wall, and a rather elaborate painting of Chris.

Jamie placed his hands on Jack's shoulders and pushed backward, but was stopped by Jack.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Jack screamed, dodging another stream of eggnog. "I get you don't like me but _come on!_"

"Jack," Jamie said, trying again to push himself away. "While I know I've openly expressed my dislike for you many times in this one week, I ask that you believe me when I say that that has _nothing_ to do with my attempted escape."

"Well then why are you-?"

"Don't ask questions!" Jamie shouted, looking Jack straight in the eye. "Just let go!"

Jack flinched and ducked as another stream flew toward them, just barely grazing his forest of pink hair. But, per Jamie's request, he released his grip on the shorter boy, who immediately repositioned his hands on Jack's shoulders.

Jamie pushed himself harshly against Jack and launched himself through the air, toward the elevator. He soared past Raphael and slammed his shoulder harshly into call button, which lit up and let out a cheerful _'ping!'_ The elevator doors slid open with ease, and Jamie scrambled inside.

"Hurry up!" he shouted, holding the elevator doors apart for Jack and Raphael.

Raphael clambered in seconds later and slammed into the elevator's back wall. He then collapsed to the floor in a heap of presents and clothing.

"Jack, come on!" Jamie shouted, slamming the 'Door Close' button on the panel beside the doors.

"You three aren't going _anywhere!_" Phoebe shouted, throwing herself at Jack. The punk got spooked and darted out of the way, leaving Phoebe to fall helplessly to the ground in a mess of flailing limbs.

"Get back here!" she shouted.

But Jack had already slid in between the closing elevator doors and, like Raphael before him, crashed clumsily into the elevator's back wall.

"P-press the l-l-l-lobby button!" Raphael gasped. "Now!"

Jamie turned and slammed his palm against the '1' button, letting loose a sigh as it lit up and the elevator began its descent.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"That's it!" Jamie shouted, crossing and uncrossing his arms before him. "That is it! I officially _hate_ Christmas now! Never again will I celebrate it! Mark my words!"

-Raphael sat in the confessional, shaking violently as he clutched his clipboard in his hands. He pulled his green Sharpie from behind his ear and started to scribble something across the board, only to collapse to the confessional's floor halfway through.

-Jack clutched a hand to his chest and pressed himself against the confessional's wall. "That," he said, eyes wide, "was hands down the scariest thing I have _ever_ experienced in my life!"

He then smiled. "It was _awesome!_"

* * *

**A/N:**

** Okay, _one_ more chapter until the Bonfire ceremony! The Campers just have to make it to the lobby and open their presents! And to the creators of Alex and Ben, I _promise_ that your characters will be featured next time!**

**

* * *

**

THE EVER ANNOYING END OF CHAPTER QUESTIONS!!!

**1) What did the Campers receive as presents?**

**2) Will Keala succeed in getting Christian to permit more members into their alliance?**

**3) Will Hillary succeed in _breaking_ their alliance apart?**

**4) Will Grace's nose ever stop bleeding after that Russell incident? (We don't think so)**

**5) Will Even gather the courage to ask Ashlynn out?**

**6) And most importantly, which Camper will be the next to walk the dreaded Dock of Shame?**

**7) And finally, but less important than number six, why do I take so long to post these freakin' chapters?**

**Find out the answers to these questions by reading the next chapter of Total! Drama! ISLAND!**


	16. Have a Wawanakwa Christmas, Part 4

**Disclaimer: Really? Do I even need to tell you that I don't own Total Drama franchise or anything associated with it again? …fine. I don't own the Total Drama franchise or anything associated with it.**

**A/N: Okay, so do any of you find it seriously pathetic that it's been almost a year since I started this last challenge and that I'm **_**just**_** posting the final chapter of it? I know I think so, but I'd like you all to vote in my poll telling me **_**your**_** opinion.**

**A/N 2: Okay. Posting this took longer than planned. This is because I can't save a file under a proper name to save my life. For those of you who are actually still reading this pitiful story, you can thank fellow author **_**Sonowa**_** for encouraging me to locate it. Thank you, for that, my friend.**

**Now: ONTO THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THIS CHALLENGE!**

* * *

Wolf crept on tiptoe down the halls of the Playa's second floor, an eggnog-filled water pistol in his hands, ready to fire at any Campers who dared cross his path. If there was one thing Wolf prided himself on, it was his stealth. He had, after all, used it quite a bit during his early teens when he would sneak out late at night. Never once, he recalled fondly, had he ever been caught.

As he pressed on down the hall, Wolf suddenly became aware of something. A faint whistling was coming from around the corner just up ahead, set to the tune of _the Carol of the Bells_.

"These loser teenagers make this job as a saboteur _way_ too easy," Wolf said to himself, grinning menacingly as he pumped the gun. He drew closer to the corner and stopped, listening for a split second to determine how far away the whistler was. After hearing the whistling, and determining the whistler to be no more than a few feet away, Wolf jumped into action.

"Suck eggnog!" He cackled, pointing the gun at the whistler and shooting a jet of eggnog at them.

"Gah!" the whistler shrieked.

Wolf smirked as he watched the Camper sink to the ground with a sickening splash as she landed in a puddle of the disgustingly sweet holiday drink. But it was as the Camper whipped her sopping black hair out of her pale face that Wolf's smirk faltered.

"Oh crap!" Wolf shouted, throwing the water gun to the floor and running to the fallen girl. "Jessica, I'm _so_ sorry!"

Jessica looked up at Wolf from her spot on the ground, frowning at him.

"You really need to find out _who_ you're shooting at before you actually do so," she said.

Wolf felt his face heat up under her gaze. "Erm, right," he said, extending a hand toward Jessica to help her up.

"Thanks," she muttered, pulling herself upright and attempting to wring the eggnog out of her baby blue T-shirt. Wolf felt his face heat up more as he realized how tightly the top was sticking to her, and clapped a hand to his face to hold back the nosebleed he felt coming on.

Jessica, noticing this, blushed as well and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "S-s-so," she stammered, trying to fight back the blood that was making its way across her cheeks, "have you, um…"

"Have I…?" Wolf asked, encouraging his flustered co-Counselor to continue her attempted change of subject.

"Have you, um," Jessica's eyes fell to the squirt gun that lay abandoned at Wolf's feet. She picked it up and gave it to him. "Have you caught any Campers yet?"

Wolf tucked the gun under his arm and shook his head at Jessica. "No," he said. "I thought you would be the first one I caught."

An awkward silence fell over the two of them again. "Sorry about that, again."

Jessica chuckled and continued to wring the excess eggnog out of her ponytail. "It's fine," she said, letting loose her ponytail and moving on to the bottom of her T-shirt.

"You're sure?" Wolf asked.

"Positive."

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Wolf sat in the confessional, leaning lazily against the wall. His fingers drummed idly over the trigger of his squirt gun, occasionally sending small jets of eggnog out of the tip. "Jessica's pretty cool," he said, his eyes cast down at his feet. "I mean, how many girls do you know who would let you soak them in eggnog and stare at their rack without getting mad?"

Realizing what he just said, Wolf face-palmed.

* * *

After reassuring Wolf for a third and fourth time that she was fine and had no hard feelings for the eggnog incident, he and Jessica set off down the halls again, Jessica holding both of their guns for the time being.

As the duo continued off down the hall, and rounded the corner, Alice came down the same corridor, Peiton (who was holding their mound of eight presents) balancing on her shoulders.

"Okay," Peiton said, sifting through the presents and putting them in two separate piles atop Alice's head, "so total, we have eight presents out of ten."

Alice nodded, shaking the presents, but not causing them to fall. "Right," she said.

"Five of mine," Peiton continued, "and three of yours."

Alice nodded again. "Right," she repeated.

"….What do ya think the odds are that I ended up getting that tranquilizer gun?"

Alice chuckled lightly, making sure to keep her noise level to a minimum. "I guess ADD is something that runs in your family, huh?"

Peiton, however, had taken to pressing her ear against her presents, trying to guess what each package held.

"You realize that that tactic is a lot more efficient if you _shake_ the presents, right?"

Peiton blinked. "Huh?"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-"Okay," Alice said, shrugging her shoulders, "so maybe pairing up with Peiton wasn't my best idea, given her short attention span. But hey, at least she's someone I can relate to."

* * *

"Never mind," Alice said, patting Peiton on her knee, motioning for her to get off Alice's shoulders. Peiton returned this pat with one of her own, and then proceeded to back flip off of Alice's shoulders, onto the floor.

"Whoo!" Peiton said, clutching at her head and wobbling about in an attempt to regain her balance. "That was a rush!"

Alice ran to her hyperactive friend and slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shush!" she whispered. "Do you want the Counselors to hear you and get us disqualified?"

"Silly, Alice!" Peiton laughed, batting Alice's hand away. "What makes you think that any of the Counselors could catch us?"

Alice arched an eyebrow at Peiton. "Him," she said, pointing a finger toward Peiton.

Peiton paled as she felt the tufts of hot breath hit the back of her neck. Slowly and trembling, the blonde turned around, and found herself staring right into the beady little eyes of Chef Hatchet.

"Run," the Chef snarled, starting to pump his gun.

Immediately, the two girls took off down the hallway, screaming at the top of their lungs, a crazed Chef following closely behind them.

"You maggots think you can escape _me_?!" he shouted after the duo. "I was in 'nam!"

* * *

Back on the Playa's fifth level, Hillary tapped her pink Converse impatiently on the carpeted floor as she waited for the elevator. A pile of five presents were tucked in the crook of her left arm, all nicely wrapped and topped with tiny bows. Christmas had never been a holiday Hillary was particularly fond of, especially now that she'd been forced to spend these past few hours, scouring the Playa for five measly presents. Back at home, she had an entire _room_ dedicated to holding her Christmas presents! Did Chris _really_ expect her to search that hard?

"What is taking that damned elevator so long?" she grumbled, tapping the elevator button once more.

On cue, the elevator doors opened, and a small ping was heard.

"That's better."

Hillary stepped forward into the elevator, but quickly jumped back when a pale, shaky hand grabbed at her leg. "Gyahhhh!" she hollered, dropping her gifts and nearly falling on her butt.

That boy from the other team lay sprawled on the floor of the elevator, his presents cast off to the side. Raphael, Hillary thought his name was. Upon looking further into the elevator, Hillary saw Jamie pressed far into the corner of the elevator. His legs were drawn up to his chest, and he was rocking himself gently back and forth as the boy with the pink hair leaned against him for support.

Hillary sneered at the three boys. "What're you idiots doing?" she asked.

Jack turned his head toward the blonde, and looked up at her with a look of terror. "Ph-ph-phoebe," he said.

Hillary wrinkled her nose in distaste. "You mean that freaky Gothic surfer you and your teammates voted out? What about her?"

"Ph-ph-phoebe," Jack repeated.

Hillary rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "I heard you the first time, you stooge. But what _about_ Phoebe?"

Jamie stopped rocking and pointed a shaking hand toward Hillary. "Phoebe!" he screamed, gripping for Jack's hand on the carpeted floor of the elevator.

"Are you two _really_ my competition?" Hillary groaned, rubbing her temple with her fingertips. "Look, I know who Phoebe is. But what did Phoebe do that left you three shaking like a pack of cowards on the elevator floor?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" a voice called from behind.

Hillary froze on the spot, and felt her body go rigid. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and slowly, Hillary began to turn around.

Hillary found herself staring into the nozzle of a squirt gun, on the edge of which hung a drop of sickly white liquid. Phoebe stood a mere foot-and-a-half in front of the blonde, arms locked in position as she held the squirt gun up to Hillary's face.

"Hello, Hillary," Phoebe snarled, her upper lip pulling back over her canine teeth. Her eyebrows were knit together in a look of sheer hatred, and her left eye twitched as she focused them on her selected prey. "It's nice to see you again."

Hillary, for the first time since the start of the competition, found herself without words. "Ph-ph-phoebe," she whimpered, her grip on her presents tightening to the point that her knuckles turned white.

"How've you been, Hill?' Phoebe asked, pushing the squirt gun forward so that the nozzle grazed Hillary's nose. Hillary winced as she felt the drop that hung from the nozzle's tip drip down onto her skin, and roll down her upper lip.

"H-how've I been?" Hillary repeated, willing her legs to move her backward into the elevator, but to no avail.

"That's right," Phoebe smiled. "How've you been?"

Figuring it was best to answer the intimidating Goth girl, Hillary gave a timid, "I've been well" as a response.

"You've been well," Phoebe said, giving a dry laugh at the end. "Y'know, it's funny: I was so sure either you or Jamie would be the first competitors to land your butts here. I thought I had this game in the bag. Thought that million bucks was a sure thing for me!"

Hillary whimpered as she saw Phoebe's smile falter. "And look at me now! I was the _first_ one voted off! The _first_ one to lose out on the grand prize. And you and that little prick," she screamed, pointing her squirt gun toward Jamie's quaking form, "are still in the contest! And if that isn't enough to drive me absolutely insane, you've been doing _well_!"

Hillary screamed as Phoebe lunged at her, arms outstretched, squirt gun tossed aside, and eyes red with fury. The blonde ducked out of the way in the nick of time, losing her grip on all but one of her presents, but sending Phoebe crashing into the elevator, right by Jack's feet.

The three boys in the elevator let out screams that could put Lindsay to shame as they scrambled to their feet. They quickly scooped up their presents, hopped haphazardly over Phoebe, and ran out the elevator, Jamie grabbing Hillary's wrist and pulling her down the Playa's hall with him and his two teammates.

Phoebe let loose an enraged growl from her spot on the elevator's floor and quickly picked herself up. She grabbed for her squirt gun and ran after the foursome. "You four," she shouted after them, pumping her gun rapidly, "are _dead!_"

* * *

Keala screamed as the eggnog hit her, knocking her backwards, causing her to drop her presents, and knocking her trusty No. 2 pencil from its spot behind her ear. She slammed harshly into the hallway's wall and slid to the floor in a sopping wet heap. Josh, who she had stumbled upon in her trek back to the lobby, lay on the ground beside her, equally sopping.

"Hahahaha!" Daniel laughed, jumping up and down in excitement. "I got you two! Now I know why Chef was looking forward to this challenge so much!"

The flamboyant boy did a quick turn on the spot and fired off another shot from his squirt gun. Alberto, who was trying to sneak away, was hit in the back, and sent flying into an abandoned food cart. His presents, like Keala and Ben's, were sent flying in all directions.

Daniel clapped his hands together and gave an energetic pump of his fist. "Yes!" He screamed. "Three in a row! I think that beats Chef's record!"

Josh groaned in frustration and pushed himself off the ground. The burgundy carpet surrounding him was stained white from the eggnog, and was already beginning to smell. "I can't believe we were ousted by _him_," Josh said to Keala.

"Seriously," Keala frowned, holding her hand out to Josh. Josh gripped her hand firmly and pulled Keala upright.

"I can't believe he got all _three_ of us," Alberto said, following Keala and Josh and pushing himself off the floor. "And with _one_ shot each!"

Daniel flashed a smile at the three fallen Bass. "Yep," he laughed, "they don't call me Ol' One Shot for nothing!"

Keala arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that Atticus' nickname in _To Kill a Mockingbird_?"

Daniel dropped his smile and sighed. "Yeah," he grumbled, obviously not pleased about having his little white lie exposed. "I'm supposed to read it over vacation."

"And you thought that volunteering to be a Camp Counselor on this show would allow you time to get that completed?" Josh asked.

Daniel chuckled and patted Josh's head. "My dear Josh," he said, "who ever said I planned on completing the assignment?"

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Daniel sat in the confessional stall, a copy of _To Kill_ _a Mockingbird_ pressed up against his nose. He sighed and shut the book. "After my mother heard me say that, she called me up and threatened to ground me until I was thirty-seven if I neglected the first assignment of my sophomore year."

He held the book up so that it covered a majority of the camera's view. "Are you happy now, mother? This book is _torture_!"

* * *

Russell and Grace stood awkwardly in the doorway of the Playa's kitchen, their eyes both looking upward to the small sprig of mistletoe that hung above them.

"Well," Russell said, scuffing his feet as he felt his blood rush to his face, "Russell thinks this is a bit awkward…"

Grace nodded in agreement. "Just a little," she said.

The two of them dropped their eyes so that they were now locked with the other in a harsh stare.

"Well?" Russell asked, leaning in toward Grace. "Should Russell and Grace… y'know…"

"Kiss?" Grace asked for him, moving in toward Russell, as well.

Russell struggled to swallow the large lump that had lodged itself in his throat, but managed to give a light nod.

Grace blushed a crimson red and fixed her eyes on a patch of flooring. "W-well," she stammered, eyes still to the ground. "It _is_ an age-old tradition… even if it is the middle of July."

"Well, Russell and Grace wouldn't want to break such an old tradition, would they?" Russell asked. He brought his hand to Grace's chin and tilted her head up so that their eyes were locked once again.

"Of… of course not," Grace answered.

The two teens leaned in toward each other, still blushing profusely, with their lips puckered and Grace with her eyes closed. They closed the distance between their lips and kissed each other lightly.

The two then pulled back quickly and looked each other in the eyes.

Grace smiled up at Russell and blushed. "That was really…"

"Nice?" Russell finished for her.

Grace nodded. "Yeah," she said.

Russell smiled and leaned down for a second kiss. However, he was stopped when he felt a light tapping on his shoulder. The third-person turned around and saw Norma, a squirt gun held in her hands, pointed up at him.

"Sorry, Russell," she said. "I hate to ruin the moment."

He pulled the trigger on her squirt gun and drenched both Russell and Grace in a stream of sickly sweet eggnog.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Norma sat in the confessional stall, her squirt gun resting on the seat beside her as she tapped her fingers together embarrassedly. "I realize it was a little rude of me to interrupt such a sweet moment between those two, but I have a job to do. And if I don't do that job, I don't get paid! Is it horrible that I'm concerned about that above the love of two teenagers?"

* * *

Ben crept down the Playa's stairwell, his presents clutched tightly against his chest as he went. He stopped at the bottom of his current flight of stairs, and he listened intently for any signs of a Counselor or Phoebe. When he heard none, he continued his trek.

Ben continued this pattern for another three flights of stairs before the door that lead into the flight above him slammed open. He jumped into the air, losing his grip on his presents like so many Campers before him had, and then took off into a wild sprint.

This sprint lasted a good five seconds before he tripped down the flight of stairs before him.

Ben grunted as he slammed against the metal floor of the stairwell. His jaw hit against the final stair harshly, causing him to bite his tongue.

"YOW!" he screamed. He pushed himself up off the ground and grabbed at his mouth, trying, in vain, to assuage his aching tongue.

"Oh, my god! _Benny!_"

Ben turned his eyes upward, back toward the door and saw Peiton rushing down the stairs, her mousy hair and plaid jacket flailing about behind her. Alice still stood in the doorway behind her, bent over at the waist as she inhaled deep breaths of air. Her face was as red as a beet and sweat fell down her pale face in waterfalls.

"Peiton?" Ben asked, not sure what his sister was doing here.

"Benny!" Peiton cried again, jumping the last few stairs and throwing herself upon her little brother. "Benny! Oh my God! I'm _so_ sorry! Are you okay? Are you hurt?!!"

"Peiton, slow down!" Ben said, grabbing his sister by her shoulders. He shook her lightly and looked her right in the eyes. "What're you and Alice doing here? I was sure I'd be the only one to take the stairwell."

Peiton suddenly broke out into a crazed smile and a fit of mad giggles. "Oh," she laughed, "well, about that! You see, Alice and I were searching for our presents together, and we managed to find them in an abandoned suite."

She held up her small pile of presents, which were no longer neat and appealing like she had found them, for emphasis.

"Okay," Ben said, still not entirely clear on how that led to Alice and Peiton running here.

"So anyway," Peiton continued, "Alice and I found our presents, and we were like 'Oh my Edward! We found our presents!' So then we took our presents and we started heading down the lobby! But then we were walking down a hallway and we ran into Chef Hatchet and he was like 'Rawr! I'm a big mean Chef! I'mma soak you and your totally awesome gifts in eggnog!'"

"Wait, wait!" Ben cried, shaking Peiton again. "You mean you're in here because you were running from–"

"_Gyaaaaah!!_"

Peiton and Ben both jumped and turned around. Alice lay at the top of the stairs, her presents scattered around her. A large splatter of eggnog was strewn across the front of her _Twilight_ jacket, and Chef Hatchet hovered over her, smirking evilly.

"Alice!" Peiton screamed. She jumped to her feet and started up the stairs to her fallen teammate, only to be pulled back by Ben.

"Peiton, leave her!" he screamed, struggling to drag her down the remaining two flights of stairs. However, Peiton wasn't giving up so easily.

"Alice!" she screamed again, batting Ben's hands away from her. She succeeded in fighting him off, and managed to get halfway up the stairs, only to be sent backwards by an eggnog missile that hit her square in the stomach.

"Peiton!" Ben yelped, running to catch his falling sister. He managed to hook his arms under her pits and steady her a bit, but being the smaller of the two twins, the support didn't last long, and they fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs and presents.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Ben sat in the confessional, a large ice pack pressed against his head and a large bruise surrounding his eye. "Okay," he said sheepishly, removing the ice pack form his head, "maybe trying to catch a sister who is fifteen pounds heavier and three inches taller wasn't my best idea ever. But, hey! She's my sister! Of course I'm going to put her safety above my own!"

* * *

Ben groaned under Peiton's weight, and clutched the spot where his head had hit against the stairs in pain. He pushed against Peiton's back and managed to roll her off of him, only to roll her against a pair of large, grease-stained shoes.

Ben looked up and saw Chef Hatchet glaring down at him, a squirt gun aimed directly at him.

"You put up a good fight, boy," Chef said, and he pulled the trigger, showering Ben in a river of eggnog.

**

* * *

**

Confessional Stall

-Ben sat in the confessional once again, ice pack still pressed tightly against his head. "Okay," he said, frowning. "I sacrificed myself to ensure Peiton's safety, and Chef _still_ squirts me? Isn't he war veteran? Couldn't he appreciate something like that?!!"

-Chef Hatchet glared at the camera. "No, Ben," he said, holding up his squirt gun, "not for you."

* * *

Alexandra rushed down the halls of the Playa's first floor, her five presents held tightly in her hands. She checked her watch again. Five minutes were left in the challenge, and she had no idea where the lobby lay in relation to her current location. She prayed that she could find her way to the lobby in time without being ousted, because she had a sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach that her teammates needed as many presents as possible.

"Oh, come on," she whispered to herself, checking her watch yet again. "Where _am_ I?'

"Of course I don't know where we are, you idiot! _You_ said _you_ would lead us back to the lobby!"

Alexandra tensed as she heard Osairia's voice coming from around the corner up ahead. She looked around quickly, trying to find a place to hide. Luckily for her, there was a door a little up ahead, which stood slightly ajar.

She tiptoed her way to the door and darted inside, and then pressed herself against the room's wall to avoid being seen.

"Oh, so this is _my_ fault?" she heard Reggie shoot back at Osairia.

"_Yes_ this is _your_ fault! You said, and I quote, 'Don't worry Osairia, I know exactly where we are!'"

"Well _you're_ the one who believe me!" Reggie shot back.

"Of course I believed you!" Osaira snapped. "I thought Chris would hired people who were at least a _little_ better with directions than Katie!"

"Look who's talking! You were relying on _me_ to guide you back to the lobby!"

Alexandra was forced to endure this little spat until Reggie and Osairia rounded the next corner, by which point, she only had three minutes left to find her way back to the lobby.

"Great!" she said, "I'm _never_ gonna get back to the lobby in time!"

The tomboy slammed her fist angrily against the wall behind her and slid down so that she was sitting on the floor. She ran a hand through her light brown hair, tugging harshly at the roots and then looked around the room she was in.

Apparently, she had found her way into a janitor's closet, judging by the large assortment of cleaning supplies piled beside the stack of presents in front of her.

"Wait a minute," she said. She threw herself at the presents and started tearing through them, reading the nametags at a rate horribly fast rate. A present for Ben, a present for Hillary! Two presents for Derek and three for Keala! She had hit the Christmas present jackpot!

"Holy crap!" she screamed, breaking out into a huge smile as she piled the presents on top of her own stack. "I did it! I got the presents!"

Looking down at her watch on last time, she saw that she had two minutes remaining to get to the lobby.

"Oh crap," she said. "I gotta get there! I have to!"

She picked the presents up off the floor and darted out the closet. She ran blindly down hallway after hallway, taking every turn she came across, and keeping an eye out for any signs of the lobby.

"Attention, Campers!" Bryce called over the P.A. system, to any of you still out there, you have thirty seconds left to get down to the lobby! So, basically, you're screwed. Sucks for you!"

"No!" Alexandra screamed, still keeping up her frantic run, clutching her mound of presents tighter than ever to her chest.

"Twenty seconds," Bryce's voice called.

Alexandra turned another corner.

"Fifteen seconds."

She darted through an open archway.

"Ten. Nine."

And then she saw the lobby. At the end of this next hallway! There it was!

"Eight seconds, players!"

She took off in a wild sprint, nearly tripping over her feet as she did so.

"Seven seconds! Six! Five!"

"Come on, Alex," she said to herself. She was almost there!

"Four seconds! Three! Two!"

"I'm here!" Alexandra screamed, throwing herself through the lobby's archway, presents still in hand. She fell to the waxed tiled floor and slid through the lobby, nearly knocking over Bryce and her teammates as she did so.

"I'm here!" she cried again. She picked herself up and pressed her presents into Bryce's face. "I'm here! I have my presents, and more!"

Bryce gave Alexandra a confused look. "More presents?" she asked.

Alexandra nodded. "That's right," she said, "more presents! I found them in the hall closet!"

"Alex," Bryce said, "I told you before you left: any presents that didn't belong to you that were brought back to the checkpoint would be labeled void."

Alexandra's face fell. "So, you mean, I didn't help my team win this?"

Bryce took Alexandra's presents from her. "Well, let's see here. You're bringing the presents back here may not have affected the outcome of this challenge after all. Contestants, if you were not ousted by Chef, Phoebe, or a Counselor, please place any presents you found on the counter behind me."

The Campers did as were instructed, and placed their presents on the front desk.

"Thank you," Bryce said, nodding as Shaya placed the last of her presents on the desk. "Now, before I tally these presents up, there's something I feel I should tell you, that I neglected to mention before."

Jamie pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "I swear to the Holy Father," he said, "if you say that nobody is going home tonight as a Christmas present, I will _murder_ you!"

Bryce waved a hand at Jamie. "Of course someone's going home tonight," she said. "Chris isn't that nice. However, the winners of this challenge do get a reward that I didn't mention previously."

"And that reward is what?" Hillary asked, rolling her eyes. "A bag of expired marshmallows? A team's supply of tetanus shots, maybe? That might be useful."

"No," Bryce answered. "And no. The winners of this challenge will enjoy a party in the Playa's ballroom, set to the theme of _Winter Wonderland_ in the spirit of Christmas!"

"It's _JULY!!"_ Jamie screamed.

"Even still! Whoever wins this challenge will get to enjoy the party, as well as a night here at the Playa to get a decent night's sleep. Losers, of course, will be returning to Wawanakwa after they vote someone off. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have some counting to do."

Bryce then turned away from the Campers and began to tally the presents for the respective teams. The twenty-three teenagers looked anxiously at one another, all hoping that their team had won the challenge and the party.

"Well," Bryce said, after she counted the presents over three times, "the current tally has the Screaming Gopher with twenty-five presents, and the Killer Bass with twenty-six!"

The Killer Bass erupted into a chorus of cheers, and Alexandra let loose the breath she'd been holding in.

"However!" Bryce interrupted, pulling aside five presents from the Killer Bass pile, "_because _Alexandra brought back presents that did not belong to her, she is technically supposed to be disqualified, which changes the tally to twenty-five presents for the Gophers, and twenty-_one_ presents for the Bass!"

Alexandra's smile fell and she grabbed Bryce roughly by the collar of her sweater. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Nope," Bryce said, smiling impishly. "It was one of the first things I told you about this challenge!"

"Then why did you lead us to believe we won?!" Alexandra yelled at her.

Bryce shrugged and grinned. "I thought it'd be fun to see your reaction. It definitely was!"

Bryce then turned back to the Screaming Gophers. "So, by default, you guys are officially the winners of this challenge!"

The Screaming Gophers burst into a series of cheers even louder than the Killer Bass, who now sulked amongst each other.

"Now then," Bryce said, bringing the teenagers back to attention, "why don't all of you open these presents?"

The Campers all exchanged looks of utter confusion.

"Wait a moment," Jamie said, stepping up to Bryce, "you mean we actually get to _keep_ these presents?"

Bryce nodded her head. "Of course you do!" she said. "Now why don't you open them?!"

Jamie turned from Bryce and looked down at his feet, before which were his four presents, lain out neatly in an arced line. He took the smallest one first, a rectangular shaped one, wrapped in silver and blue wrapping paper. _To: Jamie_, it read, _From: Cody_.

Jamie looked up from the gift for a moment, and into the face of his teammates, as well as Bryce. The Killer Bass members were even excited to see what it was he had received. "Eh," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "why not? I guess I'd be a fool to have gone through with this challenge and not open these."

Jamie then turned the package upside down and slipped his finger underneath the crease that ran down the center of it. He tugged upward on it, tearing the paper off of it in one swift movement. What lay beneath the paper made Jamie break out in an instant grin, something that no one expected.

"Thank you, Cody!" Jamie said, flipping the book over so that its cover was facing him. He ran his fingers delicately over the cover, loving the feel of the raised lettering that made up the book's title.

"Figures he'd get all choked up over something like a book," Even said, rolling his eyes.

Ashlynn nudged lightly at Even's stomach. "Oh, be quiet," she said, smiling at him. "It's seems like he rarely smiles as is. If he's gonna get excited over a book, then let him. It's a nice change seeing him different than his usual, cynical self."

And although he wouldn't admit it, Even had to agree with Ashlynn. He had hated Jamie since the minute he and Alberto arrived on the island a mere six days ago, but really, who could blame him? He was always in a foul mood for one reason or another, always snapping at those that Even felt didn't deserve his criticism. But despite this, he smiled as he watched Jamie open the book and start reading.

"What book is that, anyhow?" Lexie asked, trying to peer over Jamie's shoulder at the title.

"_The Hunger Games_," Jamie smiled, "by Suzanne Collins."

Lexie met Jamie's smile with one of her own. "Straight up?" she asked. "That book was amazing!"

"Yeah," Even shrugged at Ashlynn, "guess you're right."

Ashlynn smiled up at Even, and then placed a package in his hands. Even looked down at the package; it was a small package, with no actual shape to it, or at least not one that Even could name. It was wrapped in snow white paper, which was accented with small red snowflakes, and silhouettes of Santa and his reindeer.

"To: Even," Even said, reading the small nametag that was attached to the top, "From: Katie."

Even turned the present over in his hands again, trying to form an idea of what may be inside.

"Oh just open it," Ashlynn said, tearing off the paper wrapped around her presents in a flash, and pulling out a small CD player and a CD to go along with it. "Just a few songs I think you'd like," Ashlynn read from the small card taped to the CD's front.

"Who's it from?" Even asked, trying to read the label. However, that had been torn to shreds when Ashlynn ripped open her gift.

"Gwen," Ashlynn answered, setting the gift by her feet. "But don't worry about my gifts, silly. Open yours!"

Even smiled at Ashlynn and moved his fingers so that they were curled beneath an upturned flap of paper. He began to pull his hand back, tearing the paper as he did so, but stopped when something else caught his attention.

"What're you waiting for?" Ashlynn laughed, starting to tear back some of the paper for him.

Even pointed upward. "That," he muttered.

Ashlynn followed the path of Even's finger and instantly felt her face heat up. Hanging above their heads, bound tight by a pristine white ribbon, was a small sprig of mistletoe.

"Oh…" Ashlynn said.

Even blushed and quickly averted his eyes from Ashlynn, and settled his eyes on a nice little patch of wall instead.

Chef Hatchet groaned impatiently behind the duo. "Look, I get that you two are havin' a moment here, but can y'all _hurry up_?! We still gotta let you all open your presents and then get to the elimination ceremony! So either open the damn presents or make out! I don't care which, just _make it quick_!"

Alice slapped Chef on the back in approval, knocking the burly man over, much to his chagrin. "Cheffy's right," she beamed, picking up her own pile of presents. "Let's bust these suckers open!"

A sea of smiles broke out over the Campers (even Hillary and Destiny) as they eagerly grabbed at their gifts and started to open them. Multicolored wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, labels, and bags of different sizes littered the air as the Campers all tore through their gifts.

"Oh, my Edward!" Alice shouted, tearing open one of her presents (this one from Lindsay). She held up a brand new copy of _Twilight_, the cover of which had been signed by Stephenie Meyer, Kristen Stewart, and, to her utter delight, Robert Pattison.

"I have Robert Pattison's autograph!" Alice yelled, hugging the book tightly to her chest. "This is amazing!"

Peiton let loose an unimpressed laugh. "Robert Pattison?" she asked, smiling devilishly as she reached into a pale blue bag. "That doesn't compete with _this baby_!"

Peiton tore her hand from the bag and held up a neon orange tranquilizer gun. "_This_," she said, handing the gun over to Alice, "is a Christmas gift!"

Alice smiled. "You got it!" she squealed. "You actually got the tranquilizer gun!"

"And _you_ still have two more presents to get through!" Chef Hatchet barked. "So put the damn book down, stop staring at Peiton's gun, and–"

"Now, Charles…."

Chef Hatchet froze and slowly turned around. Norma stood behind him, her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping rhythmically against the Playa's carpeted floor as she stared up at him.

"Oh," Chef said, rubbing embarrassedly at the nape of his neck. "N-norma."

"Charles," Norma grinned, inwardly laughing to herself as she saw a faint shade of rose rise to Chef's dark cheeks.

"L-look," he stuttered, "I-I'm just tryin' to get these here kids–"

"I know, Charles," she interrupted again, placing a hand upon Chef's shoulder, stopping his sentence. "You're only doing your job. But let the children have their fun. They may as well get the opportunity to enjoy it while it lasts, seeing as tomorrow they'll be back at camp and then they'll be competing in another challenge three days later."

"But–"

Norma pressed a finger against Chef's lips, once again, silencing him. "Shush," she whispered. She then removed her finger from Chef's lips, and with her hand now unoccupied, laced her fingers with his.

"Now come on," she said, pulling him toward the Playa's entrance. "It's not as cold anymore, and the snow is simply lovely."

Chef just stared blankly ahead, a painfully bright smile plastered on his face as Norma led him out of the lobby.

The Campers continued to unwrap their presents, all of them surprised by what each one contained. Rain seemed particularly thrilled by the gift Duncan had sent her, a Toshiba portable DVD player (which she had no doubt was stolen), which went along perfectly with the movies Gwen had sent her: _Blood Bath and Blood Bath 2: Summer Camp Reign of Terror_.

"Most excellent," she smiled, placing the two gifts off to her left. She then reached for the one sent by Trent. It was small, but heavy, and rather oddly shaped. She reached to tear off the green wrapping paper, but stopped as she saw Hillary smirking out of the corner of her eye.

"What're you so happy about?" Rain asked, scowling at the blonde.

"Oh, nothing," Hillary smiled, flipping her sole present over in her hand. "I'm just thrilled about how I won't be going home tonight."

Rain scoffed. "You're _still_ living in that fantasy world where you actually make it far in this competition? Our team lost. No one on it likes you. You're the one going home tonight."

Hillary gave Rain a small chuckle. "I realize no one here likes me," she said, "and I realize that you and that freak rocker chick have wanted me gone since Day One. Of _course_ I realize I could be going home…"

"Good."

"_Except_," Hillary said, kneeling beside Rain and giving her the present, "I have this."

Rain took the present from Hillary's hand with a look of pure loathing. It was a tiny thing, no bigger than an envelope, and just as thin. Rain couldn't fathom why it made Hillary so happy.

"You're happy about a blank sheet of paper?" Rain asked.

Hillary smirked again. "Flip it over," she said.

Rain did as was instructed. She flipped the paper over in her pale hands, and in the dim lightning of the lobby, read the two words on the front.

"An invincibility pass?!" Rain screamed, turning back to glare at Hillary.

Hillary smiled. "That's right," she said. 'Invincibility."

Rain turned to Bryce, who still stood by the lobby's front desk. "Bryce," she said to the sub-hostess, "this can't possibly be legitimate, can it?!"

Bryce took the invincibility pass from Rain and looked it over. "Who gave you this?" she asked Hillary.

"Heather did," Hillary smiled.

"But this can't possibly _count_ can it?!" Rain asked again. "That would be an outside intervention!"

Bryce frowned at Rain. "Chris told me before he left for his honeymoon that any gifts given tonight could be used within the competition. I'm assuming that includes this."

"But that isn't fair!" Rain shouted back. "You know that nobody on our team likes Hillary!"

Bryce frowned again. "I'm sorry, Rain," she said. "It's Chris' orders."

Rain raised her hand up over her head and slammed it down on the front desk's counter. "This is bull! This is total, unadulterated bullsh-"

"Eewwwwwwwww!"

Rain was cut off as Raphael screamed, tossing the present he currently held over his shoulder, sending it flying into a wall. The present slumped to the floor, and to the horror of several of the Campers, it started to retreat.

Keala dropped her brand new sketchbook and shading pencils to the ground and jumped onto a nearby chair. "What _is_ that thing?!" she shrieked.

Raphael quickly joined Keala atop the chair, hiding behind her and pointing a shaking finger at the moving gift. "G-g-g-g-gift from Owen!" he stammered, tightening his grip on Keala.

"Okay," Jordan said, slowly inching away from the gift, "but what _is_ it?!"

Destiny walked up to Jordan and pushed him aside, sending him crashing into Peiton and Ben, before stomping over to the mobile gift. She gripped the wrapping paper that covered it and yanked it off. She immediately regretted that.

On the floor, crawling rapidly toward the Playa's entrance, was a colony of cockroaches, who carried a striped bucket of moldy, half-eaten drumsticks on their backs.

Destiny let loose a scream identical to Raphael's own, and quickly became the third person to clamber atop the chair.

"What the _hell_?!" she shrieked, digging her nails into Raphael's shoulders.

Raphael turned on the chair and hugged the depressing girl tightly against himself. "My thoughts exactly!" he cried.

"Where's Duncan when you need him?!" Keala screamed, joining in the hug with Destiny and Raphael.

Bryce ripped the Playa's telephone from its spot on the front desk, and chased after the retreating cockroaches. "Okay," she called after them, "I'm going to take care of this pest problem. While I'm doing so, Gophers, you head to the ballroom! Killer Bass, you have free roam of the rest of the Playa for a bit!

"…and to anyone else who received a present from Owen, please dispose of it quickly!"

All at once, Ben, Peiton, Grace, and Jordan tossed a present of theirs to the ground and stomped on it repeatedly.

**

* * *

**

A/N:

** And there you have it. This chapter definitely wasn't the best, but challenge is **_**finally**_** (after over a year) complete. Now, all I have left for this is the next elimination and…. well, the challenges and elimination of the remaining Campers. So, this could take a while.**

**Now, I realize that several of the Campers claimed their gifts, but only a certain number were shown above. A list will be up a bit later, detailing what each Camper received.**


	17. Have a Wawanakwa Christmas, the Bonfire

**Disclaimer: By now, I'm sure you know the drill. I do not own the **_**Total Drama**_** franchise, much to my dismay. This statement is usually followed by me saying how I would have changed the events of TDI in one way or another. …Geoff wouldn't have made it to the merge, nor would he have made it into **_**Total Drama Action**_**…**

**But, moving away from that, I would like to apologize for the wait. I don't mean since the last chapter, as this is rather fast in relation. What I'm apologizing for is the overall wait of how long it's taken me to get this far in the story! I mean, I'm already seventeen (though only thirteen official) chapters in, and I'm only **_**just**_** kicking off the second contestant!**

**To those of you who have stuck with me this long and have continued to review, I thank you. To those of you who have stopped, quite frankly, I can't blame you.**

**And now, I again would like to offer thanks to my fellow fanfic writers who have encouraged me to continue writing. Cookies94, Sonic Fan 08, Sonowa, GossipQueen101, astrosono, and XxXAlways-a-DreamerXxX, thank you all for staying by me throughout this story.**

**And now, onto the Elimination!**

* * *

Keala paced frantically across the Playa's dock, her heels clapping noisily against the eroding wood with each step. She'd been pacing for the past fifteen minutes, her brow knit in a worried knot as she awaited Christian's arrival.

The twelve-year-old had requested that Keala meet him on the dock at three, an idea that Keala wasn't too fond of, given the fact that the Playa des Losers was incredibly eerie at night, especially when one was alone and as far away from the entrance as she was. But Keala had swallowed her worry and made her way to the dock. And where was Christian? No where Keala could see.

"Great," she muttered to herself, stopping her pacing. "The kid asks me to meet him here and he doesn't even show. I knew I was making a mistake when I agreed to-"

"-A mistake, eh?"

Keala let loose a yelp and jumped into the air, nearly smacking Christian in the face in the process.

"Hey, now!" He cried, bending backward to avoid Keala's arm. "Watch where you fling that thing!"

"Jesus Christ, Christian," Keala said, still shaking from her initial spook. "Next time you go around sneaking up on someone, just don't let it be me!"

Christian laughed and straightened out his _Sonic the Hedgehog_ T-shirt. "Believe me," he said, "I have no intention of sneaking up on you for any reason."

Keala nodded at her fellow alliance member. "Good," she said, as she still tried to maintain a steady heart rate. "So, what did you want us to meet here for?"

"I thought it'd be obvious," Christian shrugged, causing his jacket to fall off his shoulders. "If not, then perhaps I should consider forming an alliance with someone other than you?"

Keala scowled at Christian and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Very funny," she said. "Just give me a brief summary of the plan so we can get going. It's freezing out here!"

"Patience," Christian said, holding up a finger, "is a virtue, my dear."

"I pride myself on my patience, Christian," Keala said. "I just can't stand the cold."

Christian laughed and shrugged out of his jacket, which he tossed to Keala. "There," he said, "that should at least quiet you down a bit."

Keala cast Christian a puzzled look, but accepted the jacket and quickly wrapped it around herself. "Thank you," she said. "Now, how many people did you have in mind for tonight's elimination, and who are they?"

Christian held up a single finger. "Just one," he said.

Keala blanched. "_One_?" she repeated. "Already? Surely you've got a larger variety than that."

Christian shook his head and raised his finger higher in the air. "No," he said, "just the one."

"Well then who is it?" Keala asked, relaying her teammates in her head. Hillary, much to her dismay, was out the question.

"Alexandra," Christian said.

Keala blanched further upon hearing her friend's name. "Alex?" she repeated. "Why on Earth do you want us to get rid of Alex?"

"Because," Christian said, holding up three fingers, "for one thing, she screwed up in tonight's challenge, and so she will be an easy person to vote off."

Keala grimaced, but nodded. "Very true," she said. "Proceed."

"Secondly, she's our teams' strongest player next to Rain."

"That seems more like a reason to keep her, don't you think?" Keala asked, a little put off by the idea of booting off one of her team's greatest weapon.

"But wait," Christian said, waving his index finger in front of Keala's face. "Reason number two influences reason number three. If we don't vote her off now, she'll prove to be a threat later on!"

"I think you may be getting a tad ahead of yourself, Christian," Keala laughed. "We're only two challenges into this game. There's plenty of time for Alex to develop rivalries before the teams merge."

"But look at the rivalries that have formed already!" Christian screamed, waving his finger in front of Keala's face again. "Hillary already has tons of enemies, and you can bet your butt that she'll be voting for Rain, Destiny, or Lexie tonight! That Jamie guy's the Screaming Gopher equivalent to Hillary, and he hates that Even boy and that girl Alice! The boys in our cabin hate Derek, and all the Gopher Girls were terrified of Phoebe! Alexandra is _already_ one of the few people without a rivalry!"

"I don't have any rivals," Keala sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What about Hillary?" Christian asked. "She certainly doesn't seem to be fond of you."

Keala blushed as she found herself without a rebuttal. "Okay," she said, "I can see your point regarding Alexandra, and now I'll admit she's a good choice for elimination. But how do you plan for us to succeed in this plan? In case you haven't noticed, there are still _twelve_ members on our team at present, and our alliance consists of _two_ people. One-sixth of the votes isn't enough to ensure Alexandra's elimination."

Chrisitan stood on his toes and reached up to tousle Keala's hair. "My dear Keala," he said, "that is a dilemma with quite a simple solution."

"And what would that solution be?" Keala asked, smoothing out her blonde locks.

"Convince enough people to vote with us this one time, and then make sure enough people vote for different competitors," he answered.

Keala cast Christian a confused look. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Christian held up two fingers. "I'm in close with Alberto and Josh," he said, now wiggling the two fingers. "If I can convince them to vote off Alexandra, all you have to do is make sure that Lexie, Rain, and Destiny vote for a different competitor."

"And what about the others?" Keala asked. "Hillary, Russell, Alexandra, Derek, and Ben?"

"Oh don't worry about them," Christian said, waving his hand dismissively. "Like I told you, Hillary is going to be voting off Lexie or Rain tonight, so her vote is irrelevant. Russell's so infatuated with that Grace girl that he probably doesn't even remember Hillary has invincibility. And Ben and Derek are going to be so easy to manipulate that it's almost painful to think about."

"And who will you tell them to vote for, exactly?" Keala asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Christian admitted. "I'll probably have them vote for Destiny. If there's anyone on this team that's more depressing than Derek is, it's that girl."

Keala nodded. "Very true," she said.

"Exactly," Christian said. "So do we have an agreement?"

Keala nodded at Christian. "Okay," she said, "Alexandra it is."

**

* * *

**

**The Bonfire Ceremony**

The Killer Bass stood anxiously outside the Playa's common room, huddled close together for warmth. They stared longingly through the double glass doors into the common room, where a blazing fire was burning in the fireplace. Twelve chairs were lined up before the fire, one for each of the Bass players, and in front of the chairs stood a large, oak podium. On top of the podium, barely visible in the dim light of the fire, rested eleven marshmallows.

"What's taking Bryce so long?" Keala griped, pulling Christian's jacket tighter around her.

"Beats me," Lexie said. "All I know is, if I don't get outta this cold soon, I'mma be a Lexicle before ya know it."

Derek sighed from his spot against the doors and looked solemnly at the tiled floor. "Why bother with this waiting anyway?" he asked. "I may as well head to my room. It's obvious that I'm the one you guys voted for."

"Damn right," Rain muttered.

Derek hung his head. "Oh, the cruel, cruel unfairness of life," he moaned.

Christian walked up to the emo kid and clapped a small hand to his shoulder. "Don't count yourself out, Der. These eliminations don't always go as expected."

The twelve-year-old looked over to Keala and winked. Keala averted her eyes, but making sure her hand was hidden from the views of her fellow Campers, she gave Christian a thumbs up.

"Don't get my hopes up," Derek snapped, pulling away from Christian's touch. "I have enough problems! I don't need you filling my head with impossible dreams!"

Lexie frowned at Derek and walked over to him. "Now what is _with_ you?" she asked. "You keep griping and moaning about how you know you're going to be the next one out of this game, and how it's so unfair! And _then_ you snap at Christian when he tries to comfort you! You seriously think it's unfair if we vote your sorry behind out of this contest?"

Derek returned Lexie's frown with one of his own. "Of course it's unfair! I did nothing wrong!"

"Correction," Destiny said, stepping up besides Lexie, her right hand placed firmly on her hip. "You did _nothing!_"

Derek opened his mouth to throw back a witty retort, but was cut off when he found himself falling backwards through the doorframe. He slammed to the ground with a loud "oomph!" and stared angrily up at Bryce, who held back the door.

"Oops," the sub-hostess said, holding a hand to her mouth. "Sorry."

"Adding injury to insult, much?" Derek asked, pushing himself up off the ground. Once upright, he walked past the blushing brunette and took a seat in front of the fire.

"What's his damage?" Bryce asked, staring with distaste at the back of Derek's head.

"He thinks it's unfair that he has to come here," Hillary answered, putting air quotes around the word 'unfair'. "He figures he's the only one here who could have possibly been voted out, and has been doing nothing but griping since."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Derek screamed from his seat.

"Yeesh," Bryce said, leading the eleven remaining Bass to the chairs. "He's worse than I am when I'm on my dot. And I didn't think that was possible."

"That's what you get when you select an emo kid for a competitor," Josh said, taking a seat in the back line of chairs, in between Hillary and Alberto.

Bryce shrugged and walked to the front of the fireplace. "I guess you're right," she said. She stepped behind the podium and took the plate of marshmallows into her hands. Then, she looked out at the Killer Bass, who sat anxiously in their seats. Granted, that may have been from the cold.

"Welcome, Killer Bass," Bryce greeted, "to your first Bonfire Ceremony of the season. I must say, I'm a bit shocked to see you guys here. I was thinking this season was gonna be a repeat of the last, and I'd see the Gophers here one more time before I sent one of you guys home."

Rain glared at Bryce. "Just get on with this, you pathetic excuse for a hostess!"

Bryce narrowed her eyes at Rain and scooped up two marshmallows.

"Fine," she said. "Hillary, since you have invincibility, the first marshmallow of the night goes to you. And Rain, since you can't seem to be patient to save your life, you get your marshmallow, also."

Bryce then reeled back her arm and sent the treats flying. The two aforementioned girls caught the little balls of marshmallow-y fluff and smiled approvingly at them.

…and then they looked at each other.

"Enjoy your safety while it lasts, you blonde skank," Rain called, popping her marshmallow into her mouth.

"Same to you, you washed out punk," Hillary called back.

Rain rose from her seat and walked angrily toward Hillary. However, before she could deal any damage to the Queen Bee, Lexie and Destiny intervened, putting themselves between the two girls.

"Easy does it, sugar," Lexie said, pushing Rain back toward her seat. "That girl ain't even worth the trouble."

Destiny nodded in agreement. "Lexie's right, Rain," she said. "Don't waste your energy on her."

Hillary smirked as Destiny helped lower Rain into her chair, and then turned back to Bryce. "Feel free to continue with the elimination ceremony now," she said.

Bryce cast Hillary a disdainful look, but nodded and picked up another marshmallow. Looking out over the Killer Bass, she reeled her arm back yet again and sent the treat toward Alberto.

"Congratulations, Al," she said, "you're safe for tonight."

Alberto caught the marshmallow in his large hands and brought it to his lips. He placed a light kiss on the top of the treat and then smiled up at Bryce.

"Gracias, chica," he said.

Bryce nodded at the football player and picked up three more treats.

"Ben," she called next. "You're safe as well, as are Russell and Destiny."

The three Bass players nodded approvingly at one another and then caught their respective treats. Well, Destiny and Russell caught their treats, anyway. Ben was a little too busy making shadow puppets in the light of the fire to catch his.

"Six Campers remain," Bryce said, resisting the urge to partake in the shadow puppetry with Ben. "However, I only have five marshmallows left on this plate. Which one of you will be going home tonight?"

"We would know," Derek interrupted, "if you _got_ _on with the ceremony!_"

Bryce frowned. "What is with you guys? So much impatience! What is our world coming to?"

"Bryce," Lexie called. "With all due respect, will ya stop bein' so melodramatic and hand out the rest of the marshmallows! I'm sure the audience doesn't appreciate having to-"

Lexie was cut off as a marshmallow was thrown at her and landed right in her open mouth.

"Bull's eye!" Bryce yelled, giving an energetic pump of her fist. "There you go, Lexie. You're safe!"

Lexie spit the marshmallow out of her mouth and gave Bryce a very inappropriate hand gesture. "Never cut me off again, girl."

Bryce ignored Lexie, however, and picked up two more marshmallows.

"Keala," she cried first, "and Josh! You two are safe for tonight!"

Then she looked at the remaining three Campers: Alexandra, Christian, and Derek.

"Alexandra," she said, "you seriously screwed up tonight by brining those excess presents back to the checkpoint, and thereby, just _barely_ causing your team to _lose_ the challenge!"

Alexandra hung her head in shame, just barely missing Christian's smirk as she did so.

"Derek," Bryce continued, "you just didn't participate in the challenge at all, and your whining is getting on the nerves of many of your teammates."

Derek glared at Bryce. "Stop belittling me on national TV! I haven't done anything to you!"

Lexie face-palmed. "Ya see," she said, "that is _exactly_ why my girls and I voted for you! You're nothing but a whiny little brat!"

"And Christian," Bryce continued, "I'm not really sure why you're here, but whatever!"

Keala arched an eyebrow at the sub-hostess. "If you don't know why you're keeping him here, why don't you give him his marshmallow already?"

Bryce ignored Keala and picked up the final two marshmallows.

"Christian, Alexandra, and Derek," she said, "these last two marshmallows go to…"

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Derek and Alexandra."

Bryce threw the final two marshmallows at the two teens, both of whom looked on in total shock.

"What?" Derek asked.

"What?" Keala cried.

"_WHAT?_" Christian shouted. "You guys voted _me_ out? _ME?_"

**

* * *

**

**Confessional Stall**

-Alberto sat in the confessional, on leg drawn up to his chest while the other dangled to the confessional's floor. "Christian told me and Josh to vote for Alexandra," he said, "but to be honest, I don't think I can do that. Alexandra's a really cool girl, and she's a vital member of our team. It wouldn't feel right voting for her. I heard Ben say he was voting off Destiny for being such a downer. Personally, I think Derek's a bit more depressing than she is, but it wouldn't feel right voting him off either. So, I guess I'm gonna vote with Ben on this one."

-Hillary glared into the camera. "That Christian kid, though I hate to admit it, is probably my biggest threat right now. We're only two challenges into this season, and he's already forming an alliance with that Keala girl. He _has_ to go!"

-Alexandra rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly as she stared down at the confessional's floor. "It's possible that I'm just being paranoid, but Hillary came up to me after Bryce chased out those roaches and told me that I was in danger of being voted out. Now, I wouldn't normally believe someone like Hillary after I saw Heather in the first season, but after I screwed up tonight, I think she may be right. So she told me to vote out Christian. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that. Christian hasn't made any enemies yet, and Hillary's the most hated person on our team. There's no way she'll succeed in voting him out, for whatever reason she is."

-"Christian told me that if I voted for Destiny, I may stand a chance of staying in this competition," Derek said. "I don't need that little twerp filling my head with false hopes. I'm voting for him before he can get anybody else's hopes up only to tear them down!"

-Russell sat in the confessional, a candy cane hooked on his bottom lip and a ridiculously large smile plastered on his face. "Russell thinks Grace is amazing," he said. "She's beautiful, smart, and funny. She's the whole package!"

Russell then remembered that he was supposed to be casting his vote for someone. "Oh," he blushed. "Who is Russell voting for? He doesn't really have anyone he'd _like_ to vote for other than Hillary. But he supposes that he'll vote for Christian, though, seeing as that twelve-year-old isn't really Russell's favorite person. He criticizes the way Russell talks!"

* * *

"There's gotta be a mistake," Christian said, jumping from his seat and running up to Bryce. "There _has_ to be a mistake."

Bryce shook her head at the twelve-year-old. "No mistake here, hun," she said. "You had the most votes out of your teammates. It's a darn shame, too, because I thought you'd make a delightful little co-co-host."

"But that can't be right," Keala said, joining Christian beside Bryce. "Christian didn't even screw up today!'

"Well," Bryce said, picking up a cue card that lay on her podium, "according to my cue card, Christian scored a total of four cards, which outweighed the three votes for both Alexandra and Derek, and the two votes for Destiny."

"But that's _impossible_! It's just _not possible_! Alexandra should've been the one voted out!" the twelve-year-old screamed, rounding on the tomboy.

Alexandra was taken aback, and nearly toppled off of her chair. "Ex_cuse_ me?" she asked.

"You heard me!" Christian screamed, taking a step toward her. "You should have been voted off! _You're_ the one who screwed up tonight! Not me!"

"Christian," Bryce said, stepping out from her spot behind the podium and grabbing Christian lightly by the shoulders. "Hun, chill out. I realize getting voted out sucks, but dude, there's no reason to go off on Alex."

"_Yeah_, Christian," Hillary sneered, crossing her arms smugly over her chest. "There's no need to go off on Alexandra."

Alexandra looked over at Hillary and felt her stomach drop. She averted her eyes to the floor and gnawed nervously on her bottom lip as Bryce continued to console the bitter tween.

"Christian, hun, I'm sorry, but it's time to go," Bryce said. "Come on, now, don't make such huge ordeal over this!"

"Don't tell me not to make an ordeal out of this!" Christian snapped, turning to glare daggers at Bryce. "This is _not_ right! This is _not_ the way it's supposed to go! This is _not_ _FAIR!_"

Christian's ex-teammates slowly began to back away from him, some like Ben and Russell tripping over their chairs in the process. Bryce took note of the frightened Campers and reached into the pocket of her dull lavender hoodie. She pulled out a small pink cell phone, which shined lightly in the fire's light.

She flipped the cell phone open and hit a button on the number pad. She then pressed the device to her ear and listened through two or so rings before her caller picked up.

"Hey, Chef," she whispered into the phone, cupping her hand to her mouth as Christian began chasing Alexandra about the common room. "You may wanna get in here A.S.A.P. Christian doesn't seem to be taking his elimination too well."

Almost immediately after she hung up her phone, Chef Hatchet came in through the doors of the Playa, a large burlap sack draped over his shoulder, and a large Santa hat in place of his chef's one.

"Let's get you to your room, maggot," Chef said, stalking over to Christian and grabbing hold of his wrist.

Christian was skinny, though, and easily slipped his wrist out of Chef's bulky fists. "I'm not going anywhere!" Christian snapped, glaring at the burly man. "Something here isn't right!"

"I know," Chef said, matching Christian's glare with one of his own. "A bratty twelve-year-old is throwing a tantrum on national television, and I'm not getting paid any extra to take care of this little problem. Don't _you_ tell _me_ about something not being right!"

"I won't go anywhere!" Christian yelled, crossing his arms indignantly over his small chest and giving one loud harrumph.

Chef Hatchet didn't seem the least bit fazed, though, and simply shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said.

In one swift movement, Chef had taken the burlap sack off of his shoulder and crammed it over Christian. Chef quickly turned the bag on its end and draped it back over his shoulder, Christian thrashing away in side, of course.

"Let me out of here!" Christian shouted, punching fruitlessly at his burlap prison. "Let me out of here _immediately_, do you hear? I won't stand for this!"

"Good thing Chef's carrying you, then," Bryce said, attempting to make a joke. Rain threw her marshmallow at the co-hostess, hitting her in the face.

"This isn't right!" Christian shouted again as Chef walked out the double doors. "This isn't _right!_"

Bryce scratched awkwardly at the back of her neck as Christian's screams gradually began to fade out. She looked around the room again to the remaining Bass players, all of whom wore masks of pure shock, except for Hillary, who smirked smugly.

"Well," Bryce said, trying to break the tension in the room. "I guess that's that. Killer Bass, if you would please wait here for a few more minutes, Chef Hatchet will be back shortly to escort you all to the Boat of Losers and take you back to Camp Wawanakwa."

With that, Bryce turned and followed after Chef Hatchet, leaving the still-stunned Killer Bass behind. Keala stared after the co-hostess, and as soon as she was out of sight, she fainted.

**

* * *

**

**Confessional Stall**

-"_Perfect!_" Keala screamed, throwing her arms up above her head. "The first day of my alliance with Christian and the kid gets the boot! That's just super! It is fuc-"

**

* * *

**

**Playa des Losers - Ballroom**

The Screaming Gophers stood mesmerized in the Playa's ballroom, mouths agape and eyes widened. They were shocked to see that the Christmas party Bryce had promised them was as amazing as she'd said.

White-clothed tables laced with sky blue ribbons stood scattered about the room, topped with crystal vases of fresh forget-me-nots. Projections of snowflakes danced up and down the ballroom walls while a disco ball threw small white lights across the room, completing the snowy effect.

But perhaps the greatest part of the entire party was the large table pressed against the back wall. A good six feet in length and draped in an elegant blue tablecloth, the table was stocked full of food!

"Holy crap," Ashlynn muttered as she and her teammates took a step toward the table. There was every food they could imagine. Roasted turkey, honey-baked ham, a mount of steaks, and a large tray of burgers sat off to the table's far left. Loaves of every type of bread imaginable stood steaming in the middle of the table among platters of freshly picked fruits and vegetables. And along the entire right end of the table, such a large variety of desserts was lain out that the Gophers could feel cavities forming in their teeth just by looking at them.

"Well what're you waiting for?"

The Gophers jumped at the voice and turned around. Osairia was walking toward the Gophers and their feast with a tray of cheeses clutched tightly in her hands. Behind her, Daniel and Ariane struggled to carry a large ice chest while Norma toted a stack of plates and silverware with her.

Osairia banged the tray of cheeses harshly on the table, sending a few cubes of cheddar to the ground, and turned back to the Gophers.

"Dig in," she said.

Needless to say, this may not have been Osairia's greatest idea, as the next moment, she found herself being trampled by eleven pairs of feet as they made their way to the table. The Gophers grabbed blindly at the food, taking whatever they got their hands on, and sometimes smacking food out of the hands of their teammates. The ordeal proved to be too much for Norma, who fainted, while Ariane fanned her face rapidly. Daniel was nowhere in sight, but the ice chest he and Ariane had been carrying seemed to be trembling far too much to be considered normal.

Eventually, once their plates were stacked with food, the Gophers cleared away from the table, leaving a seriously mangled Osairia on the floor.

"Good God!" Daniel cried as he crept out of the ice chest. "They've _killed_ her!"

Daniel ran over to his fallen comrade and fell to his knees beside her. He eyed her limp form for a moment and then hung his head. "She will be missed," he said, making the sign of the Holy Cross as he did so.

"I'm not dead, you idiot," Osairia groaned, struggling to move from her spot on the tiled floor. She placed her hands firmly on either side of her and pushed off the ground. "I just have some internal bleeding."

Daniel beamed and threw his arms around the cynical girl. "Oh, Osairia! You're okay!"

Osairia started to go blue in the face as Daniel tightened his grip. "Get… off… of… ME!" she shouted in between gasps of air.

As Osairia struggled to pry Daniel off of her, the Gophers sat at the tables, stuffing the feast down their throats and chatting amongst themselves.

"This is amazing!" Shaya squealed, chomping down on a piece of French bread.

"I know!" Alice concurred, shoveling a chunk of chicken into her mouth. "I can't believe Chris did this for us!"

Peiton pat Alice's hand lightly and looked at her _Twilight_ loving friend. "My dear, Alice," she said, "let's not doubt this gift from Chris. Deep down, I think we all know he's a kind, giving man.'

A silence fell over the Gophers before it was shattered by large bouts of laughter from the eleven teens.

"That's rich, Peiton," Even said, wiping a tear from his eye. "That's like saying Jamie here's tall enough to reach his bunk."

Jamie glared across the table at Even and shut his book. "Or like saying that Even doesn't suffocate his hair with copious amounts of hairspray," he shot back.

"That's like saying that Jamie _isn't_ a cynical little prick."

"Or like saying that _Even_ actually has a brain."

Even opened his mouth to let loose another insult, but was cut off as Daniel popped up between the two sparring boys, his wide grin resting on his face as usual.

"Ooh, so much tension!" he cried, hugging the two boys close. "This is a joyous time! A time of giving, and loving, and peace on Earth!"

Jamie sighed and slapped Daniel away from him. "For the fifth time," he said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, "it is the middle of July. Christmas is five months from now!"

Daniel released his grip on Even and wrapped both of his arms around Jamie. "Oh, Jamie," he said, pulling the cynic close to him. "Why, oh why, must you be such a Debbie Downer? Can't you just celebrate this party with the rest of your teammates?"

"You're assuming we _want_ him to celebrate with us," Even muttered, earning him a harsh slap to the head from Ashlynn.

"Be nice," she hissed.

"Oh what's the point?" Jamie asked. "After a few more contestants get the boot, the teams will merge, and it'll be a free-for-all. How wise would it be if I let myself get attached to someone here?"

"You seem to have a liking for that Raphael kid," Ariane said, walking over and taking a seat beside Daniel.

Jamie perked up at the mention of Raphael and looked around. There was not a sign of the wallflower anywhere.

"Speaking of Raphael," he began.

The faint sound of a piano playing cut Jamie off, and the short boy turned around, along with the rest of his teammates. An elevated dance platform stood before them, covered in freshly polished black-and-white tiles. A baby grand piano rested in the corner furthest from where the Gophers sat, behind which, Raphael sat, his bony white fingers running nimbly back and forth over the keys.

Osairia's eyes shot upward as she and Norma, too, joined the Gophers at their table. "You play piano, wallflower?"

Raphael nodded at Osairia, but did not lift his head up from the keys. Osairia grunted in annoyance, but continued to watch as Raphael played.

"Who knew that Raphael had such talent?" Ashlynn whispered to Even as she stepped closer to the shy boy.

Ashlynn suddenly felt a cold, rough hand fall upon her shoulder. She turned to see Norma standing behind her, looking up at the taller teen.

"Pardon me, my dear, but would you mind letting me through?" she asked.

Ashlynn smiled at the grandmother and nodded her head. "Of course, Norma," she said.

She took Even by his elbow and pulled him aside, clearing a pathway for Norma to cross to the piano.

"Raphael?" she called as she approached the wallflower.

Raphael looked up from the piano this time and smiled timidly at Norma.

"H-hi, Norma," he stuttered. He reached his hand up to his face and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Raphael," Norma continued, "may I ask a favor of you?"

Raphael didn't give a verbal response. He just scooted over on the piano bench and motioned for Norma to sit.

"Thank you," Norma smiled. She took a seat beside him, and leaned in toward him. She brushed a tuft of hair away from Raphael's ear and whispered something to him.

"S-sure," Raphael answered to whatever Norma's question was. "I think I could remember how to play that."

Norma smiled again and patted Raphael lightly on the head. "Thank you," she said.

Norma rose from the bench and walked around to the front of the piano.

"Boys and girls," she said, addressing the Screaming Gophers. "In the spirit of Christmastime, and given the fact that we have a dance floor and piano, I hope you won't mind if I sing some Christmas songs."

Jamie actually cracked a smile at the older woman. "Feel free, Norma," he said, dipping his head lightly at the redheaded woman.

"Thank you, Jamie," she said. "Raphael, would you mind?"

Raphael nodded at Norma and turned his head back down to the piano keys. He played a few soft chords, which made up quite a delightful melody, and Norma took a deep breath.

"_Frosted windowpanes_

_Candles gleaming inside_

_Painted candy canes on the tree_

_Santa's on his way_

_He's filled his sleigh with things_

_Things for you, and for me."_

The Screaming Gophers and their respective Counselors were blown away by the delicate and soothing tone of Norma's voice as she continued on with the song.

"_It's that time of year_

_When the world falls in love_

_Every song you hear_

_Seems to say_

'_Merry Christmas'_

_May your New Year's Dreams come true_

_And this song of mind_

_In three quarter time_

_Wishes you and yours_

_The same thing, too."_

Norma turned to Raphael and signaled for him to stop for a moment. Then, she turned back to the Screaming Gophers.

"Well, what are you teens standing around for? We have a dance floor! Dance!"

Ashlynn smiled at Norma and turned to Even. "Even," she asked, smiling up at the blond boy.

Even met Ashlynn's smile with one of his own. "Yes, Ashlynn?"

"Would you be interested in sharing a dance with me?"

Even smiled even wider. "It'd be a pleasure," he said.

He offered his hand to Ashlynn, who took it gratefully and led her to the dance floor. As Norma began to pick up singing again, the two of them pulled each other close, and began to sway gently around the dance floor.

Peiton smiled at the two of them as they danced to Norma's gentle singing.

"Aww, that's friggin' adorable!" she screeched, jumping giddily in her spot.

She then turned to Shaya and Jordan and pushed them in the direction of the dance floor. "You two!" she barked. "Dance! It's adorable, and even though you've expressed no interest in each other whatsoever, it's still going to be adorable!"

Jordan and Shaya turned to each other. They both shrugged and linked arms, and headed to the dance floor.

"That's what Momma Peiton is talking about!" Peiton yelled.

Alice chuckled at her crazed friend. "You don't want to dance yourself?" she asked.

Peiton turned to her partner in crime and smirked. "I didn't say that," she said.

She then bowed deeply in front of Alice and held out a hand. "Alice, my dear Alice. Will you share this dance with me?"

Alice smiled at her friend. "Why, Peiton, I'd be honored."

Peiton led Alice over to the dance floor next to Shaya and Jordan, and they began to swirl wildly around the other two couples, nearly knocking over Ashlynn and Even.

Jamie remained on the sides of the dance floor, however, and smiled at the spectacle Peiton and Alice were making of themselves.

"You should smile more often, you know…"

Jamie jumped and turned around. Jack was standing behind him, two cups of hot cocoa held in his gloved hands, and a Santa Claus hat on top of his head. He offered one of the cups to Jamie, who took it hesitantly.

"Thank you,' he muttered, not bothering to look Jack in the eyes, though.

"You're welcome," Jack said, offering Jamie a lopsided smile. "And I was serious about that smile comment, you know. It looks good on-"

"Jack, look," Jamie interrupted. "I'm getting a little tired of this. I've already told you that I'm not interested in you, and for the sake of the team, I wish you'd get that through your head."

Jack frowned at the short cynic. "I'm only trying to be friendly."

"Friendly was offering me the hot chocolate," Jamie said, bringing the cup up to his hand to take a quick sip. "Complimenting me on the smile was not needed."

Jack frowned. "Why are you so against the thought of giving me a chance? Tons of couples hooked up on this show-"

"And look what happened to them," Jamie snapped, nearly spilling his drink. "Trent and Gwen broke up from a lack of trust. Geoff and Bridgette were separated in between seasons. Lindsay couldn't even remember Tyler's _name_ for God's sake. This show is possibly one of the worst places to meet a partner. And, to be quite frank, you are not the type of guy I am interested in."

Jack frowned again. "Fine," he sighed. He turned to walk away, but stopped when he felt a hand close tightly around his wrist.

"Wait a moment, Jack," Jamie said, turning Jack back around.

"What is it now, Jamie?" Jack asked.

Jamie frowned and looked at the ground. "I'm asking you this against my better judgment, and I'm pretty sure it's going to come back to bite me in the butt. But, would you like to-"

"Dance?" Jack finished, offering Jamie a hand.

Jamie clapped a hand to his face and shook his head. "Take a walk with me?"

Jack dropped his head in embarrassment and felt his face heat up. "Oh," he said.

The two of them stood in an awkward silence for a moment before Jamie broke it.

"Well?" he asked. "I'm not a very patient person. I'd like an answer."

Jack blushed further and nodded his head. "S-sure," he answered, offering Jamie a hand again.

Jamie begrudgingly took Jack's hand and the two of them walked out the ballroom doors.

"This is just for tonight, though," Jamie said as they continued out.

"Of course," Jack nodded.

**

* * *

**

**Camp Wawanakwa - Mess Hall**

Alexandra sat alone in the Mess Hall, a mug of steaming coffee held tightly in her hands. She shakily brought the mug to her lips, and sipped idly at the hot liquid. Soon thereafter, she placed the mug back on the table, and rubbed at her temples.

"How could I be so stupid?" she asked herself, brining one of her hands slamming down onto the tabletop, causing her coffee mug to jump lightly.

"Funny. I've been asking myself that same question."

Alexandra jumped at the unexpected presence and turned herself around, knocking her coffee mug over. Hillary stood in the Mess Hall's doorway, clad in nothing more than a football jersey promoting the Raiders, and a pair of bright pink underwear.

Alexandra felt her chest tighten, and asked, "What're you doing here?"

Hillary walked forward to the anxious tomboy, and placed her arms on either side of her, preventing her from moving. "I'm here," she said, "to offer you a deal."

Alexandra tried to duck under Hillary's arm and get away, but the blonde was quicker, and pinned her further against the table.

"If you want to get any further into this contest, then you will _listen_ to me," Hillary hissed.

Alexandra felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand upright, and listened tensely.

"Good girl," Hillary said, removing her arms from Alexandra and stepping back. "Now then, as I was saying, if you want to get any further into this contest, you will listen to me. You screwed up tonight, hun. You listened to the bad girl, and you caused a totally innocent and important member of our team to be sent packing."

Alexandra felt her blood began to boil beneath her skin and glared intensely at the blonde. "I didn't think he'd actually get eliminated," she said.

Hillary threw her head back and gave a throaty laugh. "And you think that matters?" she asked. "Do you think it _really_ matters that you didn't think he'd get eliminated? I don't think your teammates will care about that if they find out that you voted with me."

Alexandra's eyes widened and she pushed herself out of her seat so that she was at eye level with Hillary.

"I didn't think it would work!" she screamed again.

"Again," Hillary said, "it doesn't matter. You still voted with me, and Christian is gone because of it. His premature elimination is _your_ fault, Alexand-"

Hillary was cut off as Alexandra's palm came crashing into her right cheek. The blonde stumbled backward in shock, clutching her face. When she looked back at Alexandra, she saw the tomboy standing above her, legs apart, and with her chest heaving, glaring down at her.

Hillary chuckled at the sight. "You've got grit, Al," she said, rubbing her cheek.

Alexandra glared at the blonde as she righted herself.

"But don't think that grit will save you for too long," Hillary said. "Now, again, _listen to what I have to say._ You _will_ continue to vote with me for as long as I see fit, and you will _not_ tell the others about what I just said."

"Why wouldn't I tell the others what you just said? You'd be out of here next! Then I'd have nothing to worry about!"

Hillary shook her head and waggled a finger in front of Alexandra's face. "But you see, Alexandra, you're not thinking about everything. Assume I get invincibility next week. _Then_ who will the others be left to vote for?"

Alexandra found herself at a loss for words, and so took to staring at the ground.

"_Now_ the recognition is setting in," Hillary smirked. She took hold of Alexandra's chin and lifted it up so that their eyes were locked.

"Now then," Hillary repeated, this time offering Alexandra a hand. "What do you say to my proposition?"

Alexandra looked disgustedly at Hillary's hand, but then took it into her own a second later.

"I'm in."

**

* * *

**

**Votes**

Alberto – _Destiny_

Alexandra – _Christian_

Ben – _Destiny_

Derek – _Christian_

Destiny – _Derek_

Hillary – _Christian_

Josh – _Alexandra_

Keala – _Alexandra_

Lexie – _Derek_

Rain – _Derek_

Russell – _Christian_

Christian – _Alexandra_

Destiny (2)

Derek (3)

Alexandra (3)

Christian (4)

**Eliminated****:** Phoebe, Christian

**

* * *

**

**A/N:**

**So, that's it for this challenge, and I apologize, once again, for the long wait. In all honesty, the next chapter should be up by this week's end. I've never said **_**that**_** before, have I?**

**Now then, while you wait for that chapter to be uploaded, ponder these questions:**

**1) Now that Christian is gone, how will Keala survive the game?**

**2) Will Alexandra be able to cope with the guilt of being part of Hillary's alliance?**

**3) Will Hillary's alliance succeed?**

**4) What will the next challenge be?**

**5) Will sparks actually start flying between Jamie and Jack?**

**6) And finally, how long will it take for this damned snow to clear the grounds of Camp Wawanakwa?**

**Find out next time, right here…**

**On **_**Total… DRAMA… ISLAND!**_


	18. Dear Mom and Dad, I'm Doing Fine

To My Beloved Followers,

As surprising as it may seem, I am not dead! I have just taken an incredibly long leave of absence. However, I am happy to report to you, that I am back in business!

It's been almost three years since I last updated this story, so I assume that many of you have sadly forgotten about this story. However, I have not. In the time that I _did_ spend on this story, I fell in love with all of the characters that you guys sent in. For that reason, I am happy to report that I will begin progress on finishing this story!

That's right. Three years later, I am _REBOOTING_ "Total Drama Island: Season 2"!

However, I cannot do this alone. I need to know that there are people out there who still care about this story. Please, tell me that you're still there. I know that I have disappointed you in the past, but I am ready to give this another shot.

So, please, send me a PM or reviews, telling me that you're still interested in the fate of the remaining campers. I would especially like to request the assistance of the following authors:

-_Sonowa_: Daniel, I miss you terribly, and hope that you will still stand by me through the revamp of this story. Don't give up on me just yet, bud.

-_TitanWolf_: Though you and I did not talk terribly often, you constant reviews and PMs were greatly appreciated, and offered a sense of encouragement that I desperately need.

-_XxXAlways-a-DreamerXxX_: You were my biggest cheerleader through all of this, and I miss talking to you. Please, help me with this.

To my remaining followers, _ActiveX2012_, _FTiger_, _GossipQueen101_, _Kyuubi_16,_ LilMizzNae_, _NekoofWanton_, _Nova48_, _Shadow Kissed Chris_, _SonikFan112_, _UnderxGravity_, _lmc3200_, _missingthepoint,_ _nejiXtenten4everz_, _princeskvn_, and _thewaythatyoudo_:

What do you say, guys? Should I give this story another chance?

Let me know what you think!

Best wishes to all of you!

Jamie am I


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